Accidental Deception
by Squirrel Watching
Summary: Ron suspects that Rose might be dating Scorpius Malfoy. He enlists the help of Teddy to figure out if he’s right, but Teddy becomes quickly entangled in the situation. Rose/Scorpius Rose/Teddy. Rated mostly for language and some themes.
1. The Letter

Disclaimer: Harry Potter, the subsequent characters, and universe belong to J. K. Rowling.

Summary: Ron suspects that Rose might be dating Scorpius Malfoy. He enlists the help of Teddy to figure out if he's right, but Teddy becomes quickly entangled in the situation. Rose/Scorpius Rose/Teddy.

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Chapter 1: The Letter

At this very moment, Teddy Lupin felt like the worst sort of person. Not the sneaking into the cinema kind of bad, but the kind of bad where you take a toy from a toddler and keep it out of their reach taunting them until they cry. He's pretty sure that the sickly heavy weight in his stomach was an equivalent level of guilt. Not that he normally went around taunting children, but he figured spying and tricking family was pretty low on the moral scale.

It all came about a couple of days ago. He received an invitation from Ron to meet up for lunch if he could sneak away from the office for an hour or two. Of course, it wasn't very difficult considering his supervisor was his godfather, Harry Potter. Harry was a bit of a pushover when it came to giving time off.

Teddy arrived at the muggle diner in London about ten minutes after their scheduled luncheon time. It was no surprise that Ron hadn't arrived yet, Weasley's always tended to run on a different set of time than the rest of the world. Ron seemed to have an especially bad time of keeping appointments when he didn't have Hermione reminding him to leave at a proper time. Teddy got himself a table and ordered a muggle soda. He spent the extra time flirting with the waitress. She was a few years older than him, but still rather attractive. Teddy was still dating Victoire, but flirting came as naturally to him as breathing. Besides, Victoire shared the same bad habit, and they had learned long ago to curb their jealousy. Sometimes they even played about seeing who could catch more blushes with just a sultry look.

The waitress in a fluster excused herself after hearing the complaints of a nearby table about lack of service. Teddy smiled to himself and leaned back in his chair. He was a bit curius as to why Ron chose to meet in muggle diner. He still had a hard time figuring out muggle currency and generally he avoided the embarrassment by only eating muggle-side with his wife. Teddy smiled wryly expecting Ron wouldn't be the one by lunch today.

"What's so funny," came a voice off to Teddy's side. Ron was wearing a pair of slacks and a chudley cannon t-shirt. He must have placed a freezing charm on the quaffle, so it didn't swing around and move through the goal post as it normally did. Even with the freezing charm, Ron still looked mightily out of place.

"Your idea of what muggles wear," Teddy said chuckling.

"And you do any better?" Ron responded slumping into a chair across from Teddy. He was of course referring to Teddy's turquoise hair, ripped jeans, layered t-shirts, the clunky and outlandish belt, and the multiple piercings.

Teddy gave Ron one of his charming smiles. "Yes," he said simply.

Ron punched Teddy in the shoulder from across the table, that man had an unnaturally long reach. "I'll have you know I get compliments on my clothes from Rose and Hugo all the time."

Ron had never been very quick on picking up on sarcasm. "I'm sure you do," Teddy replied trying to hold back laughter.

The waitress approached them when she noticed another person at the table. After taking their orders she blushed and hurried away from Teddy's wink. Ron frowned disapprovingly at him which only caused Teddy to laugh. "So how are things," Teddy asked taking a sip from his drink.

"Look, Teddy I've got to be honest with you." Teddy raised his eyebrow and waited for Ron to continue. "I didn't ask you here to just catch up…I need your help with a very delicate issue."

Teddy was intrigued. He leaned forward slightly waiting to hear more. "I found this in Rose's room," Ron said pulling out a piece of parchment. It was worn out a bit by weather and it looked to have a name scrawled across the back.

Teddy frowned at the parchment Ron was waiting for him to take. "Tell me that's not a letter addressed to Rosie," he groaned.

Ron jerked back the piece of paper defensively, "So what if it is?"

Teddy was only twenty-four not far removed from seventeen in his opinion, and he definitely remembered what an invasion of privacy it was for a parent or in his case guardian to go through your room. "You went through her room!" Teddy began rubbing his forehead vigorously.

"Why shouldn't I," Ron said contemptuously. "She's still living in my house, so as far as I'm concerned it's my room."

Teddy just tightened his lips and raised his eyebrows. Ron shifted his eyes down to the table and hunched his shoulders. "Well, she was getting all these letters and she wouldn't say who they were from," he had taken on the whiny petulant voice of a child.

"Ron, this is Rosie Posey we're talking about. She has never misbehaved in her life or gotten below an O on any assignment. The worst she could be doing is owling a boy," Teddy told him exasperated.

"Exactly," Ron said with a triumphant look. He offered the parchment to Teddy again.

Teddy was tempted to read the paper. He didn't know Rose had a boyfriend, and his curiosity was demanding that he check to see whom the letter was from. However, he was already taking the morally high ground and lecturing Ron, so he wasn't about to back down. "She's seventeen Ron. She's allowed to owl boys all she wants, in fact she's allowed to shag them rotten".

That last bit may have been a mistake, because Ron turned a sickening shade of red and looked like he was ready to kill Teddy and live out the remainder of his years in Azkaban. "But I'm sure she's not," Teddy amended.

Ron was still a vibrant shade of red. However, he managed to get past his kill Teddy and decide how to break the news to Harry later phase. "I don't care if she's writing boys."

Teddy raised his eyebrows. "Okay…okay," Ron admitted, "I do care. But I also realize she's going to be," he paused and made a disgusted face, "_dating_ at her age. I'm more concerned about which boy she's writing to though.

"Which boy is that?" Teddy couldn't help asking.

"Scorpius Malfoy," Ron revealed dramatically.

Teddy let out a bark of laugh. "But she hates Malfoy. They've been competing for top grades since they were like eleven. She's never had anything but complaints about him," Teddy reasoned. The waitress dropped off the food they had ordered and Teddy spared a moment to give her his charming smile.

"I know. That's what I thought. Until I read this," Ron began to unfold the piece of parchment. "Stop looking at me like that and just listen," Ron said exasperatedly.

"_Rosie,_

_I knew you'd make head girl. I'm so excited for you and I hear you get to have a room of your own. I miss seeing you every day, but maybe we can meet in Diagon alley. Too bad our Dads don't get along._

_Love,_

_S.M."_

"Do you see now," Ron said waving the letter about. He was starting to attract a few stares from the rest of the diner.

Teddy gave him his best look of disbelief. "No actually. Ron, you can't even tell whether that letter is from a boy or a girl."

"But it says _love_."

"Hermione signs all of her letters with love," Teddy pointed out rolling her eyes.

"What about _a room of your own_." Ron placed as much innuendo as possible into that phrase.

"You're reading too much into it," Teddy insisted.

"But his initials are S and M and he says I don't get along with his father," Ron said triumphantly.

"You don't get along with a lot of people Ron," Teddy pointed out with a playful smile. "Look, I'm not saying it isn't Malfoy. I'm just saying that there could be plenty of kids at Hogwarts with those initials and a parent you don't get along with. I don't know, maybe its Mclaggen's kid or something," Teddy suggested.

"I hadn't thought of that," Ron said thoughtfully. "I bet he's just as handsy as his dear old Dad."

"Hold on Ron, you don't even know if he has a kid at Hogwarts. I was just suggesting that there are other possibilities."

"Maybe you're right," Ron admitted. "But I would feel better if we eliminated Malfoy from the running."

"And how are we going to do that?" Teddy asked leaning back in his seat.

"You are going to disguise yourself as Malfoy and show up on my doorstep," Ron announced. Teddy promptly fell backwards out of his chair drawing the attention of the entire diner.

So here he was standing on the Weasley's doorstep an inch taller and a few pounds lighter. He nervously ran his fingers through the light blond hair and shifted uncomfortably in his clothes. He wasn't used to being so…proper. He should just leave and forget the whole thing. Clearly he was off his rocker when he agreed to do this. Who cares if Ron said he owed him some kind of favor or threatened blackmail? Nothing could be worse than this. However, before he could decide to take off the door swung open.

"What are you doing here!?"


	2. The Deception

Disclaimer: Harry Potter, the subsequent characters, and universe belong to J. K. Rowling.

Summary: Ron suspects that Rose might be dating Scorpius Malfoy. He enlists the help of Teddy to figure out if he's right, but Teddy becomes quickly entangled in the situation. Rose/Scorpius Rose/Teddy.

Author's note about rating change: I've bumped up the rating to M. I wanted to keep it at T, but I read the guidelines and there will be strong language and some adult themes. Nothing explicit but maybe something blushworthy (at least I blushed), but I blush and have to look away from the screen whenever there is a kiss in Disney cartoons.

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Part 2: The Deception 

Teddy would have preferred it if her tone had been scathing and disgusted when he arrived on the Weasley's doorstep in Malfoy form. Then he could have gotten at worst a hex and been sent on his way to tell Ron that his daughter was still a firm anti-malfoy supporter. Then all of this unpleasantness would have been avoided and he would not end up feeling like a traitorous dirty old man. Unfortunately, her tone was not as scathing as one would expect from a Weasley finding a Malfoy on her doorstep.

Sure there was plenty of anger and surprise in her tone, but she also looked undeniably pleased to see him. Teddy didn't even get a chance to respond before she had grabbed him by the wrist. She glanced out the door looking around for any witnesses before closing it hurriedly. "Your just bloody lucky everyone is out of the house." Luck had nothing to do with it. Ron had arranged for Rose to be alone, so she would be completely candid in her reaction to _Malfoy's_ appearance. Teddy was pretty sure Hermione would suspect something was going on when Ron took her on a surprise date, but who in their right mind would figure out exactly what Ron was up to. Hugo was at a quiddtich camp for the next two weeks, so he wouldn't be a problem. "Merlin, if my father saw you…I don't even want to think about the number of healing charms I'd be using to repair your mangled body." Rose continued to hold on to his wrist which was making Teddy uncomfortable. She was pulling him up the stairs in the direction of her bedroom causing warning bells to go off in his mind. He knew he should stop this now, he had enough information to get her grounded for the rest of the summer, but he didn't know the nature of Malfoy's and Rosie's relationship. They might just be good friends or something.

She shut her bedroom door behind them. Teddy hadn't been into Rosie's bedroom for years. It hadn't changed much. It looked like the room belonged to an eleven year old girl: pink walls, flowery bed sheets and drapes, the usual girly mess that occurs when children are allowed to decorate. Rose noticed him eyeing the room and blushed slightly. She punched him in the shoulder softly. "Stop judging! It didn't seem important to redecorate a room I only stay in three months of the year. I'm about to leave anyway and I know it would kill Dad if I changed it now," Rose tried to explain.

Teddy smiled crookedly, "I wasn't going to say anything." It was the first time Teddy spoke using Malfoy's voice and it made him start slightly. He had forgotten that he was supposed to be someone else for a minute. Rose cocked her head to the side and examined him. Her red curls spilling over her shoulder. Teddy dropped the smile quickly. Did Malfoy smile? He had never seen Malfoy smile. Oh Merlin, Rose was going to figure it out and hate him forever.

"I've missed you," she breathed out softly. There was a deep sad happiness in her blue eyes that made Teddy's gut wrench. He had a dirty taste in his mouth and was wondering what he was doing here. Would it be so bad if Rose was in love with a Malfoy, if she was happy did it really matter who it was with.

Teddy figured he should say something before he really mucked things up for Rose and Scorpius. "I missed you too. Not even death at the hands of your father could keep me away," he told her smiling slightly. Now, if he could just slip away before she realized what was going on all would be well with the world. He could make his excuses to Ron and worry about the confusion between Rose and Scorpius when they owled later. Maybe, he could intercept and change all of the owls Rosie Posey was sending Scorpius and neither of them would ever figure it out.

Rose smiled up at him before moving her hands to his chest. "My parents are going to be gone for the rest of the afternoon and my brother is at some camp. It's better than Hogwarts." Rose looked up at him from under long russet eyelashes.

Better than Hogwarts for what? She couldn't possibly mean… Teddy's throat seemed to have gone completely dry. He couldn't think of little Rosie Posey doing anything…like that or ever looking at anyone like that! "I…uh…I…" Teddy stuttered horribly.

Rose giggled at him. "I've never seen you so flustered before," she said coyly fiddling with the collar of his shirt.

"It's just your father…" Teddy tried.

Rose growled in frustration, "I'm sick of worrying about my father." Before Teddy knew what happened, Rose had wrapped her arms about his neck and pulled him in for a kiss. Teddy's arms had automatically wrapped around her waist, but his shoulders tensed and he didn't immediately return the kiss. He was…well Teddy didn't know exactly what he was feeling, but it wasn't what he expected.

Rose pulled back slightly in question looking confused and hurt, but before she could say anything Teddy leaned in and pressed his lips against Rose's. Teddy for the life of him couldn't figure out what he was doing. Given a couple weeks to think it over he still couldn't tell you what made him do it. All he knew was that his brain clearly wasn't functioning and wasn't about to start working any time soon.

Rosie sighed into his mouth. She ran one hand behind his shoulder blades and the other wrapped up in his platinum blonde hair. It felt…different. Normally his hair was several inches shorter, and her fingers running through the longer locks felt off. It almost brought him back to his senses, but her tongue had darted into his mouth distracting him as she wrapped one of her legs around his trousers. She tasted of salt and slightly sweet from orange juice. There wasn't the slightly waxy flavor of lipstick that he got when kissing Victoire.

Teddy groaned in frustration recalling his girlfriend. Unfortunately Rose mistook it for a groan of passion and pulled him down to the flower colored duvet. She began slipping the buttons of his shirt out of their appropriate holes while continuing to kiss him. She raised her leg slightly causing it to brush a very sensitive area which made him groan once more for very different reasons. Rosie smiled wickedly at him. Her face was flushed and her chest was heaving occasionally brushing his own.

Teddy Lupin was definitely going to hell or whatever afterlife existed where you were tortured for an eternity. He began kissing her earnestly his hand slipping under her green shirt. Her skin was soft and felt like it was on fire. She gasped into his mouth as his hand ran up her side. Teddy smiled against her mouth in pleasure before moving down her jaw and to the crook of her neck with small kisses. Her skin tasted wonderfully clean. It was of salt and a slightly soapy taste without the bitter residue of perfume. Rosie moaned in pleasure and wrapped her legs about his waist pulling her body closer to his. She ran her hands up and down his bare back sending tingling sensations down his spine.

"Merlin, Posey," he growled into her neck. The second after the words left his mouth Rosie's body went stiff as a board. Teddy pulled back slightly pressing his eyebrows together in question. Rose had the look on her face she gets when she's figuring something out.

"Scorpius?" Rose breathed out her voice trembling slightly. She put a hand on his chest pushing him off of her further. Teddy put his hand over hers pressing it more tightly to his chest. "Oh Merlin…Teddy," she said in a barely audible whisper.

When Teddy did nothing to respond except cast his eyes away slightly, Rose jerked her hand away from him as if she had been burned. She covered her mouth with her hand and looked at him in disbelief. "The smell…the smile…you even tasted different," she nearly shrieked. He could tell she was on the verge of hyperventilating. "I should have known…I should have known…I…I cheated on him." She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them protectively rocking slightly. Teddy didn't know what to do. He thought he felt guilty before, but it was nothing compared to this. He just stayed where he was on the bed embarrassingly shirtless and still in the form of Malfoy.

He tried to reach out a hand to her in a comforting gesture, but she smacked the arm away. "Don't you dare touch me," her voice shook with fury. Tears were streaming down the side of her face. "You have no right." She closed her eyes in a desperate attempt to shut out the sight of him. "Don't…I can't…look at him anymore."

Teddy swallowed the dryness in his throat and let the façade of Scorpius Malfoy slip away until Teddy Lupin sans his turquoise hair was left sitting on her bed. He wasn't keen on using any of his metamorphagus abilities at the moment. "Posey…I didn't…" Teddy didn't know what to say after that.

Rose opened her eyes and looked up at the ceiling desperately. "Posey…that's…only you. No one else…only you," Rose muttered refusing to look at him.

Teddy grabbed on to her shoulder and shook her slightly, "Rose, snap out of it. You're not making any sense.

"You're the only one who calls me Posey," she nearly shouted twisting out of his grasp and standing up. She was looking out the window hugging herself with her arms. "I thought I was imagining it at first. I haven't seen him for a few weeks, so I could be imagining that he seemed different. He wasn't different though, he was like you." Fresh tears were starting in her eyes. "How could you…how could you do it Teddy." It almost sounded if Rose had choked on his name.

"Rosie, I…" He gestured desperately. He couldn't explain his actions and he was unsure if he should reveal the motivation that brought him here in the first place. He didn't really want to create a rift between Rose and her father on top of what he had already done.

"Was it for a bit of a laugh? Did you and James think it'd be funny to mess with dear old Rosie?"

"Rose, I would never…"

"Never what…trick me? Deceive me? A little late for that Lupin," Rose spat.

"It was your father, alright," Teddy nearly screamed at her.

"What do you mean?" She looked at him suspiciously but waited for him to continue.

"He asked me to figure out if there was something going on between you and Malfoy," he confessed.

Rose snorted. "Right, by shagging his little girl while wearing a disguise. I'm sure that's exactly what _Dad_ asked you to do."

The muscles in Teddy's jaw twitched. "No, that bit wasn't part of his plan. I don't know what happened, Rose."

"Merlin Teddy, you have a girlfriend. Whose my cousin I might add." She bent over and picked up his shirt. She chucked it at him with enough force to prevent him from catching it. It smacked his face.

"I know," he moaned in frustration. He quickly slipped on his shirt and turned away while buttoning it. Rose rolled her eyes and shook her head at his sudden modesty. The shirt was slightly tighter now that he was back in his normal form, so he left a couple of the buttons up top loose.

Rose seemed to have regained her composure and was looking at him with an unnaturally cool detachedness. "I want you out Teddy. And we will never speak of this," she said motioning about the room,"again. Understood?" Teddy nodded dumbly in response. You will also tell my _father_," she said the last word with disdain. "That I slammed the door in your face when you showed up as Scorpius." Teddy nodded once again. "And I don't want to see you the rest of the summer. If you're invited to Weasley gatherings where I might be, you make an excuse not to be there. I never want to see or speak to you ever again Teddy Lupin." Tears were once again falling down Rosie's cheeks and dripping onto her pale pink carpet.

"Posey," Teddy said placing his hands onto her shoulders. "How can I earn your forgiveness if I can never speak to you," he whispered.

Rose looked up at him her eyes weighted with sadness and clouded by tears. "You can't."

"I'm sorry Rose," Teddy said desperately. "I don't want to lose you."

"You're already too late Lupin. Now, Go…" she turned away from him slipping out of his grip.

"Rosie," he tried again stepping towards her.

"I said, Go!" she shouted and in a burst of uncontrolled magic, Teddy was pushed out the door and it slammed shut in front of him. Teddy leaned against the hallway wall and slammed the back of his head against the wallpaper repeatedly. He waited for ten minutes before finally leaving the house. Teddy Lupin needed Rose to forgive him and he was willing to do anything to make that happen.


	3. The Consequences

Disclaimer: Harry Potter, the subsequent characters, and universe belong to J. K. Rowling.

Summary: Ron suspects that Rose might be dating Scorpius Malfoy. He enlists the help of Teddy to figure out if he's right, but Teddy becomes quickly entangled in the situation. Rose/Scorpius Rose/Teddy.

Author's Note: Short chapter, so I'm posting another one right after this. I could wait and post them a few days apart, but I want to keep up momentum. I've actually outlined the entire plot of the story so nothing should stop me from finishing it.

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Part 3: The Consequences

Teddy had more difficulty than he expected coping with _the incident_. First off he found it impossible to convince Ron that nothing was going on between his daughter and the youngest Malfoy.

Ron had stopped by his flat one evening in an attempt to interrogate him a couple of weeks following the incident and his rather lack luster report. "But she's still getting all of those owls," Ron complained. "I swear they've over doubled in number since you stopped by the house."

"Hmm," Teddy said non-commitally putting a blackened kettle on to boil. He knew exactly why there was an increase in letters. Teddy had been sending Rose an apology at least once a day. Two times on days he spent with Victoire. He suddenly had this flash of Ron beating him to a pulp, "you're…you're not reading any of the letters are you?" Teddy didn't want to think about what would happen if Ron found one of his apologies. He thought he felt awkward now being in the same room as this man; he couldn't imagine what it would be like if Ron had an inkling of what transpired between him and his daughter.

Ron sighed and ran a hand through his vibrant hair leaning heavily against Teddy's counter. "No…" he said sullenly. Teddy let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. He busied himself with the kettle to cover his anxiousness.

"Not that I haven't tried," Ron amended. Teddy dropped the kettle back on the burner causing a clanging sound.

"Ron…" he said with a bit of trepidation.

"I know…invasion to privacy and all that rubbish," Ron said dismissively. Oh, Teddy would kill for that to be the only thing he was concerned about. "But she's been enchanting all of her letters. I don't know what with, but she's bloody brilliant." Ron pulled out a folded piece of parchment and turned it about in his hands. "I'm sure Hermione would be able to figure it out, but she might not understand why it's so important to know what our little girl is up to." Teddy snorted and shook his head pouring two cups of tea. He pushed one over to Ron and began blowing on his own. "So, I was thinking maybe you could…"

"No," Teddy said flatly taking a sip of his tea.

"It's just one little letter," Ron said waving it back and forth.

"Nope."

"Fine," Ron sighed. He picked up the cup of tea and took a sip. He stuck out his tongue in distaste. "No sugar?"

"I don't got any," Teddy said shrugging.

Ron clicked his tongue in a reproving manner. "I thought Victoire would make sure you keep your house in better order."

Teddy shrugged again. "We usually spend time at her place."

He wasn't really in the mood to talk about Victoire any more than he was in the mood to talk about Rose. "Speaking of Victoire," Ron continued smiling slyly. "When are you two going to settle down?"

Teddy choked a bit on his tea causing Ron to laugh. Teddy cleared his throat, "Don't you think we're a bit young."

"I was your age when I married Hermione. And you two have been dating for almost six years."

"Off and on," Teddy said defensively.

Ron raised his eyebrows. "I'm sure Victoire has started hinting…"

"Could we just change the subject?" Teddy asked feeling his face redden. Victoire had in fact been hinting repeatedly or more like demanding they take their relationship to the next level. He was still grappling with the idea of maybe sharing a flat with her; he definitely didn't want to start thinking about marriage.

Ron smiled knowingly and gave him a knowing wink. "Sure…sure... So what's with the new look?"

"New look," Teddy asked slightly puzzled.

"The hair," Ron explained. "I don't think I've ever seen it look so…so normal."

Teddy ran his hand through his now short sandy brown locks of hair. He couldn't seem to get his hair to stick anymore. He would turn it turquoise, violet, or whatever color best suited his mood when he got up in the morning, and by the time he left the flat it had reverted to his naturally boring brown. Teddy didn't really want to consider why his metamorphagus skills were diminishing, and he certainly wasn't willing to let that information get back to the auror's department in the ministry. They might start taking him off cases, and he was just starting to lead his own investigations now. "Um you know, just trying out something new. Makes me look older don't you think?"

Ron seemed to scrutinize his hair before nodding his ascent. "I guess. Just looks weird on you though," Ron said laughing. "I don't think you can pull off normal very well."

Teddy smiled at him, "Yeah, I probably never will."

"Anyways, you coming to Harry's party? Mum's making a huge fuss out of it you know. Inviting the whole family and half the ministry. "

"Actually, I'm kind of busy…at work," Teddy said lamely.

"I'm sure you could talk your boss into giving you time off to attend his own birthday party. He'll definitely want you there, even if he doesn't appreciate the circus Mum'll make out of it."

"Well, I'll think about it," Teddy said uncomfortably. "I just really want to get ahead in my career now and…"

"Nonsense, I'll talk to Harry."

"No Ron, really that's…"

"No trouble," Ron reiterated grabbing his coat. "I'm sure I'll see you before then. Send Victoire my love."


	4. The Party

Disclaimer: Harry Potter, the subsequent characters, and universe belong to J. K. Rowling.

Summary: Ron suspects that Rose might be dating Scorpius Malfoy. He enlists the help of Teddy to figure out if he's right, but Teddy becomes quickly entangled in the situation. Rose/Scorpius Rose/Teddy.

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Part 4:

The Party

This was exactly why Teddy Lupin was currently hiding under his sheets. He felt a hand shake his shoulder roughly. "Come on Ted. We're going to miss the party." He heard her enter his bathroom and start fussing about the sink.

He pulled the sheets from down over his head. "I don't feel well," he told Victoire in a pathetic sickly voice. He did his best to keep his skin looking pale and drawn.

Victoire left the bathroom and gave him a pointed look. She finished pushing a dangly silver earring through her ear before returning the bathroom. She left the door open, and Teddy watched her as she bent over the sink to apply some mascara to her eyelashes. "I know you better than that Ted Lupin," she shouted a little unnecessarily. "When you're actually sick you deny it until you are too incapacitated to resist being side-along-apparated to the doctor." She began applying a naturally colored lipstick. "So there must be another reason you don't want to go to the party." She rubbed her lips together and packed up her make up bag.

"Can't a guy not feel well without getting the third degree?" Teddy asked desperately.

"A guy certainly may, but you are not most guys." Victoire began to rummage in his closet until she found a shirt and pants that suited him. She tossed it onto the bed. "Be ready to leave in ten minutes.

"But Vicki," Teddy began to protest.

"We are not going to miss this party, even if I have to apparate you out of here in your boxers." Victoire told him alone in his bedroom to get ready.

Nine and half minutes later Teddy came out of his room looking sulky. Victoire ignored his pouty expression and gave him one of her dazzling smiles. "How do I look?"

"Gorgeous as always," Teddy acknowledged. She was extremely lovely with pale reddish blonde hair and a figure that muggle models would kill for. She leaned in and gave him a lingering kiss that made him want to stay in the flat for other reasons. "Victoire we could…"

However, Victoire was not about to have any of that. "Mind if we side-along? I hate apparating in heels."

Teddy let out a ruefull sigh and offered Victoire his arm. They arrived at the designated apparation point outside the burrow. They were one of the groups to arrive later. Most of the Weasley's were there including Victoire's parents. Teddy would rather avoid speaking to Mrs. Weasley, as it always ended up talking about setting a date for their wedding.

"I'll just go get some drinks, yeah?" He said slipping off of Victoire's arm. She narrowed here eyes suspiciously but allowed Teddy to sneak off and avoid an interrogation.

Teddy decided to catch Harry as soon as possible. Maybe, he could get away with giving his god father his best wishes and leave before anyone else noticed that he had arrived. He was a bit torn. He wanted to talk to Rose again, since she wouldn't answer any of his owls. On the other hand that's the absolute last thing he wanted to do.

"Harry," Teddy shouted catching the older man's attention. Harry smiled widely once he recognized the boy.

"I hardly recognize you," Harry told him as he made it through the crowd of family and friends. "You do look so much like your parents with the brown hair though." He was looking at Teddy a bit in awe which was kind of wierding him out.

"Well happy birthday, feeling bit old now that you're counting off your forties?" Teddy said knocking him in the side.

"To tell the truth I'm feeling a lot younger than when I was seventeen. I might be older, but life is easier." Harry looked around proudly at his friends and family celebrating in the fine weather. He leaned in to Teddy a bit and lowered his voice. "Hermione, though," he began with a look of terror crossing her face, "I can't imagine ever having another birthday for her. You know after we threw her a party in the spring she spent a week and a half trying to figure out how old she actually is including time turner use and time spent petrified. Turns out she's a good year older than Ron. Spent a week trying to convince her she wasn't getting old," Harry chuckled.

As Harry was reminiscing, something caught Teddy's eye. He saw just a glimpse of pale blonde hair. "Harry? Are…are the Malfoy's here?"

Harry glanced over in the direction Teddy's gaze was fixated on. However, the blonde had already disappeared into the crowd. "I doubt it. Though I did tell Al he could invite Scorpius. They're good friends at school, and he seems like a nice boy," Harry frowned slightly. "I just wish Albus would talk to me more. He seems so distant lately and he's off at all hours. I don't like my kids keeping secrets, but I think it's inevitable at his age."

"Yeah…sure it will work out," Teddy said distractedly and moved into the crowd of people. "I best get back to Victoire," he called over his shoulder.

"Sure," Harry called back to him.

Instead of heading back to Victoire, Teddy continued to search the crowd for a flash of pale blonde hair. Once again Teddy wasn't exactly sure what he was planning to do or why exactly he was looking for Malfoy in the crowd of people. He had no desire to talk to the boy, so he wasn't sure what he was thinking. Maybe it was in a misguided attempt to protect Rosie, though at this point she probably wanted to be protected from Teddy more than anything.

He didn't see Scorpius, but he did see Albus pulling Rose along through the crowd. She looked nervous, excited, and slightly sick. Teddy ducked down slightly, so they wouldn't notice him.

"You alright there Teddy?" Mrs. Thomas asked him. He was about eye level with her chest.

He blushed and bent the rest of the way to the ground. "Yeah, uh just dropped something." He mimed picking up and pocketing the object before making his excuses and following the direction Rose was headed.

The only place he could figure that they were sneaking off to would be the garden shed. He had left the crowd of the party and approached the shed quietly. He leaned against the building and cast a quick eves dropping spell. What good was it being an auror if you couldn't put your training to practical use.

"Rosie what's wrong?" he heard what he assumed to be Malfoy's voice.

"Nothing's wrong, why would you say that?" Rosie asked him. Even Teddy could tell that she was hiding something by the tone of her voice.

"Your letters have been different lately…more subdued…less like you," he tried to explain. "And then you don't seem that excited to see me."

"Oh that's not true, Scorpius. I've been waiting to see you since school let out. I just…I've been thinking about things."

"Rose, is there someone else?"

"No, of course not," Rose said laughing slightly. "I love you. There's no one else." There was a pause before Rose continued. "Something just happened a couple of weeks ago that…it just changed things in my life."

"You know you can tell me anything."

"I know, but it's…family related."

This explanation must have satisfied Malfoy, because he didn't pressure Rose to go on any further. Teddy wondered if they often avoided discussing their families given the whole history there.

"Well, since I've got you all to myself for the next few minutes…" He heard Malfoy say. Teddy quickly canceled the listening charm and flushed a deep red. He felt extremely uncomfortable and upset. Teddy leaned against the garden shed. What was he even doing out here. What was he thinking spying on Rose.

He had really mucked things up with Posey and he didn't know if he would be able to fix it. He had never fucked up so badly in his entire life. Would anyone notice if he and Rose never again spoke to each other? Maybe, but probably not. Maybe he should just leave Rose alone to get on with her life.

He glanced back at the party. He should go find Victoire before she started having to awkwardly explain his absence from the party. He would definitely be hearing about it later if he completely abandoned her.

Before he moved away from the shed, he noticed an unusually tall red head of hair moving closer to the edge of the crowd and the shed. Now, Teddy could have just left them to be discovered, but he had a feeling Rose would end up blaming him for that as well. He quickly entered the garden shed without knocking which turned out to be a bit of a mistake.

Teddy cast his eyes to the ground as Rose and Scorpius pulled apart. Rose straightened her white summer dress and lifted a strap that had fallen down back onto her freckled shoulder. Scorpius looked flustered and at a loss for what to do. He looked to Rose for some form of guidance.

Rose just looked terrified and held onto Malfoy's arm tightly. "Ron's…uh…headed this way." Teddy said in lieu of an explanation.

Malfoy paled substantially. But Rosie was good at thinking on her feet. She cast a quick disillusionment charm and tapped Malfoy on the head. She then grabbed his disappearing arm and led him to the still open door and gave him a slight push out. Teddy heard a whispeted, "Thanks mate," before Malfoy made his escape. Just what he needed, Malfoy thinking he was a good guy. He was going to need extra antacid potion tonight.

Rose turned back to Teddy and gave him a pointed look that told him he was definitely not forgiven. "How did you know we were in here?"

Before Teddy had to answer that awkward question Ron entered the shed dramatically. He shouted, "Aha!" and pointed at Teddy with Triumph.

"Daddy?" Rose questioned and Teddy turned around and raised his eyebrows at the now sheepish looking Ron.

"I found you," Ron finished lamely.

Rose placed her hands on her hips, the flush that had stained her face earlier had drained away. "Daddy, aren't we a little old to be playing hide and seek?"

"What are you two doing in the shed then?" he asked slightly confused. Teddy realized that Ron's confusion was about to make a quick shift to suspicion and eventually accusations, because that was just how Ron's mind worked concerning his little girl.

Before Ron could consider the situation too deeply, Teddy offered a plausible excuse. "Grandma Molly sent us in to look for a muggle croquet set. She thinks that there should be one in here, but it's so messy I don't know if Rosie and I will have any luck."

Ron tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I think I remember that sort of thing. Funny stick like contraption and a ball?"

"Exactly," Teddy said. Though, Ron could have been as easily describing cricket as croquet or some other muggle sport.

"It might actually be in the attic," Ron told them. "I'll go take a look while you two look around here."

The second Ron was out of site Rose made for the door, but now that Teddy finally had an opportunity to talk to Rose he wasn't going to let it slip through his grasp. He shut the door and stood in front of it preventing Rose from passing. He also cast a quick silencing spell, because he had a feeling this was likely to get a bit loud.

"Rosie I just want to talk to you," Teddy pleaded.

"That's nice for you Lupin, but I don't really care about what you want."

"Posey I didn't mean it."

"Right, like that's supposed to make me feel better about our little snog," Rose threw her hands up in the air in exasperation. She affected a dramatically fluttery girl voice "Oh thank Merlin, he didn't mean it, because then I'd really feel like shit." Her voice dropped back to her normal scathing tone for the last bit. "A guy taking me aside for a shag is so much better if he doesn't care," Rose said punching him in the shoulder. The force of the hit caused him to fall back into the shed's door.

"I didn't mean it like that Rosie of course I care."

"Merlin curse you Teddy. You took advantage of me."

"I know. I know I took advantage, but Merlin, can't you just calm down and be rational for two seconds!"

"No, I don't think I can. I'm sick of being the god damn level-headed Ravenclaw. I have every right to be pissed and I think I'd rather stay that way."

"Don't you even want to know why it happened."

"I'd be very surprised if you even knew why, Lupin." Rose crossed her arms and looked at him doubtfully.

It's true, Teddy still didn't know why he had done it. He'd been thinking about it the last couple of weeks which generally led to sexual frustration and guilt. "Maybe I like you a bit more than I should," he mumbled.

If steam could blow out of your ears when you were angry, Teddy was pretty sure Rose could power the Hogwarts express. "Don't you even start with that Lupin. The only reasons you think you like me are because you're scared shitless of your relationship with Victoire and feel damn guilty about coming on to me."

Teddy was more than slightly offended at her presumption, "Rosie you don't know…"

"You're right, I don't know. I don't know what you're thinking. Just like you don't know me well enough to really like me properly."

"I've always liked you Rosie…"

"You don't know and like me well enough to fuck up a relationship with someone you already love Teddy."

Two things stopped him from responding. It was the first time she had referred to him as Teddy, just Teddy, since everything happened and the truth of her statement. Of course, he knew her, but it was in the vague sort of way. He'd only spent time with her at family gatherings and heard only praise from everyone who knew her. She was smart, kind, pretty, bang up at quidditch, and he learned today swore like a sailor. Then again he didn't know her at all. She was apparently in love with a Malfoy and a damn good liar.

"That's what I thought," Rose said sadly. "Look, I'll probably forgive you eventually…just not in the next several years," she smiled tightly at him. "I'm going now." She shouldered past his motionless body and left the shed's door to swing shut repeatedly.


	5. The New Job

Disclaimer Harry Potter, the subsequent characters, and universe belong to J. K. Rowling.

Summary: Ron suspects that Rose might be dating Scorpius Malfoy. He enlists the help of Teddy to figure out if he's right, but Teddy becomes quickly entangled in the situation. Rose/Scorpius Rose/Teddy.

Author's note: Thank you for all of the reviews. I especially want to thank nonentity since they went through and reviewed each of my chapters when they noticed I wasn't getting many responses after I updated the story so close together.

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Part 5: A New Job 

Teddy didn't see Rose for the rest of the summer. He'd like to say it was because he was obeying her wishes never to see him again being a mature unselfish sort of person. Unfortunately, the real reason he was avoiding Rose was because he was a coward. After their confrontation, he decided to really sit down and think about his actions. He was going to work this all out in his head before he tried to talk to Rose again. That lasted for a couple of hours before Teddy started feeling shite about himself. No one wants to sit down and think about what a complete and selfish prat they are not only in this situation but generally as well.

Thoughts of the incident eventually led to thoughts about his girlfriend. He knew Victoire wanted to get married. If he proposed today, he was certain that she would accept. Though when he actually thought about it he didn't know why he was so certain that she wanted to marry him. He just assumed or more accurately feared that Victoire wanted to marry him; they had never actually discussed the matter before. They had been discussing moving in together since she left Hogwarts, but they had never broached the subject of marriage. The things Rosie said made him question how well he knew anyone, especially the woman he was in love with.

He did love her. He was certain about that. You can't just make yourself believe that you're feeling something. He just wanted to pinpoint exactly why he was in love with her. There were the obvious reasons. She was attractive and fun. She also had an unmistakable confidence about her that drew people in. She was certain about what she was doing in life and Teddy admired her for that. Then again he didn't know what she was afraid of or uncertain of. She just seemed so sure of herself that he didn't even think about it, but everyone had fears. He didn't know her long term plans or goals. He often avoided talking about the subject, because he was afraid it would revert to a conversation about the future of their relationship. Honestly, Teddy didn't even know if she wanted to live in London all her life or if she wanted kids. He knew her mother wanted kids, but Victoire had never mentioned anything, probably sensing his reluctance to talk about the subject.

Teddy was resolved to change that today. Just because he wasn't ready for marriage or the future, didn't mean he couldn't talk about it. He had owled her to meet him for lunch in Diagon Alley. Victoire was in between jobs and was working at George's shop until she found something more permanent.

Teddy arrived first and got them a table and began fiddling nervously with his fingers. Teddy didn't typically fidget and he realized it would be a dead give away that he was nervous. He forced his body to calm down. On the plus side his metamorphagus abilities had stabilized. His hair could still be a bit finicky. For example at the moment it was a brooding black which went quite well with his look, but wasn't normally his hair color of choice. His hair hadn't been in the habit of expressing his emotions since he was nine and figured out that's how Harry and Grandma always caught him in a lie.

Teddy got a table outside and when he caught sight of Victoire she took his breath away. It was amazing that she still had that effect on him even after so many years. She was wearing the ridiculously colored and unflattering shop robes and she still looked gorgeous. Her long flaxen hair rippled in the breeze caused by her stride and her eyes sparked with a fierceness and confidence that most wizards only dreamed of.

She leaned in and gave him a soft kiss before sitting opposite of him. She crossed her legs with elegant precision and raised an eyebrow. "So what's this about? You said 'we needed to talk'." Her tone of voice had that death knell quality about it when she repeated his words.

"I didn't mean it like that!" Teddy assured her quickly.

Victoire let out her high pitched tinkling laugh. "Oh Ted, of course you didn't. I was just kidding you." Teddy was relieved and at the same time frustrated. After all he could have meant 'we need to talk' to be in that very serious relationship ending manner for all she knew.

"Right," he grumped. He had been put a bit off kilter by her comment and tried to regain his purpose for meeting with her. "I'm not going to mince words. I think we should move in together…Before you say anything let me explain why. We've been together for ages, I love you, and I want to get to know you better." This had all sounded much better when he had practiced it out.

Victoire was looking at him skeptically. "Ted…"

"It sounded better before. Just think about how generally charming I am and imagine how it would come out if I was up to standard," he tried to lighten the mood.

Victoire laughed slightly and smiled sweetly at him. The kind of pitying smile she sent boys when they asked her out. "We've been together for six years Teddy. How do you expect to get to know me better?"

Teddy tried to explain as best he could. "I mean I do know you Victoire, but I want to know even more. What are your bad habits? Do you pick your nose when you're at home alone or maybe have a weakness for muggle soap operas? I want to know the things you've kept from me…" He elaborated when she gave him an offended look, "Not like purposefully keeping secrets, but things you thought wouldn't interest me or might drive me off. I want you to know that I won't be scared off and I want to know you, desperately I do."

Victoire just looked floored. "I don't know what to say," she stumbled.

"Well you could start with what you want to do after the joke shop. You've been saying it was a temporary situation for the last two years. You must have something in mind," Teddy suggested.

Victoire looked distinctly uneasy and nervous. "Well I have been meaning to talk to you about something." She was studying a stain on the table very carefully. "I've been offered a job at the ministry."

"Well that's great!" She didn't answer him right away. "It is great isn't it?" he asked starting to feel slightly apprehensive.

"They've asked me to be the liaison to the French ministry. I'd be moving at the beginning of September. I'd only be back in London four times a year for a quarterly report unless there was tension in the government."

"Oh," was all Teddy could think to say. "Couldn't you just apparate to France?" He asked her.

This comment seemed to have upset Victoire, because she pierced her lips and gave him a withering look. "No I can't just pop over to France for work and then pop right back to make you dinner. You know the restrictions on international apparation! You're a bleeding auror. Besides maybe I want to live in France." She crossed her arms across her chest huffily.

"Then I'll guess we'll have to talk about this, because I can't leave Britain due to my job." He drew his eyebrows together in thought.

"I'm not asking you to leave your job," Victoire told him.

The tone of Victoire's voice led him to believe she was trying to tell him more than she was actually saying. "What do you mean?"

"Look Ted. It's nice that you've finally decided to get to know you're girlfriend of six years, but it didn't even cross your mind to move to France with me."

"My careers here and you're making it sound like you've already made your decision."

She looked him straight in the eye. "I have. I accepted the job last week and I've begun shopping for a place in France."

Teddy just let his mouth drop open. "I love you Teddy. I really do, but it's time I started living the life I want."

"Are you breaking up with me," he asked the disbelief in his voice evident.

"No, I'm not," she told him flatly. "I still think we could give things a go, but I need to be my own person and find the things I love before I decide to sacrifice them for someone else."

"So like a break?"

Victoire rolled her eyes. "Sure if you want to call it that."

"Right then," Teddy said looking down at the table in near shock. This wasn't a result of the conversation he had considered. He picked up his tea and began to unconsciously sip it his mind a complete blank. Victoire continued to look at him expectantly, but she would be left waiting a long time.

Victoire had not waited until the beginning of September to move. With Teddy becoming so distant and a new awkwardness present in their relationship, she decided it would be best to leave as soon as possible.

Teddy was at his desk staring despondently at some paperwork he should be filling out contemplating how his life had become so confusing. Teddy was a happy sort of person. You could throw him in any situation and he would make the best of it. He was confused by this new depression that surrounded him and he wasn't sure how to function inside of it.

"Lupin," someone barked sharply. "We don't pay you to sit on your ass and moon after some girl." He looked up shocked to find Harry looking down at him disappointedly.

"But Victoire…"

"This is the auror's office Lupin. I'm your godfather outside of it, but here I do what is best for the team and the ministry. You get the papers on the Dawson case to me by the end of the day or you're through here." Harry turned on his heel and stalked towards the door. Before he left his utterly shocked godson behind he turned his head over his shoulder and said in a much more Harryish voice, "I'd get that work done if I were you, because I have a case with your name on it that could make your career." With his mysterious bit said and a wink he left the office.

For the first time in a few weeks Teddy felt something besides despair. He felt excitement. He quickly began scratching away at the paperwork on his desk with a turquoise feather quill.

He had finished the paperwork within an hour, but had hesitated before bringing it to Harry's office. What kind of mission would it be? He hadn't heard anything too unusual at the department meeting. No hint of neo-death eaters or new dark lords; just the usual murder, mayhem, and prejudice that affected a large community. Then again Harry could have been taking the Mickey out of him. There probably wasn't an actual case. His godfather was probably just trying to lift his spirits a bit.

When Teddy had finished talking himself into a much more depressed state, he trudged down the corridor to Harry's office. He knocked on the door and slipped in when he heard a muffled response.

"Ah, so I see you've decided to keep your job here," Harry chided.

Teddy turned the corners of his mouth up slightly without a trace of humor. "I suppose so."

"Hmmm," Harry said pensively. "Do you want to hear the particulars of the case now or tomorrow in a proper debriefing?"

Teddy's eyes sparked to life. "There's an actual case then?"

Harry laughed at the expression of his baffled godson. "There's always a case." He gestured towards the chair in front of his desk and pushed an envelope across to him.

Teddy sat down and flipped open the file. There was the general information: a strange death, whispers of a new dark lord, muggles starting to notice things. There was a photograph of a thin bracelet or perhaps arm clasp. It was difficult to tell proportions from the photo. It was a silver snake wrapped in a circle. The head of the snake reared back and two one inch silver needles jutted out of its jaws in place of fangs. Teddy had pulled out the photo and was studying it carefully. As he watched it, the snake began to unwind and slithered about the picture frame before snapping at him.

"Nasty piece of work that," Harry began. "Found it on David Wicks's body. The department of mysteries is still trying to figure out how it works. They haven't even been able to identify the poison it injected him with."

"David Wicks?" Teddy asked.

"He's been the potions professor for the past two years at Hogwarts."

"Hogwarts?" Teddy looked up surprised. "What about Rose…and Al?"

Harry raised his eyebrows and looked questioningly at Teddy after his little outburst. "They're fine. They haven't even gone back to school yet."

"Right," Teddy looked down at the folder embarrassed. "So the attack happened at Hogwarts then? Any suspects?"

"We've questioned all of the professors…under veritaserum. Voluntarily!" Harry defended when Teddy looked up at him in surprise. "None of them know anything. Wicks kept to himself mostly. They don't remember him leaving or having any dark shadowy meetings with _the next dark lord_."

Teddy looked at the case file again. He drew his eyebrows together in confusion. "You've already got Umbrill and Swanson on the case and you're supervising it yourself." Umbrill and Swanson were seniors within the auror department and always solved their cases. Teddy felt like he was a bit out of his league. "What do you need me for?"

Harry leaned back in his chair comfortably. He crossed his fingers together and created a joined fist. "The best lead we have at the moment is Hogwarts. It's the most secure facility in Britain and somebody managed to sneak a dark device in and kill someone. Someone must have really wanted Wicks out of the way. We can search his office and his rooms, but we need someone on the inside. We need to talk to the kids without them knowing. We need them to be open and honest about the things they noticed rather than clamming up or making up stories for an auror."

Teddy started to get a bad feeling about where this was headed. "We've already arranged it with the headmistress. You, Danny Miller, will be starting your seventh year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Teddy fell out of his chair again only this time it was forwards instead of backwards.

"You alright Teddy?"

"No," he groaned.


	6. Welcome to Hogwart’s School of Witchcraf

**Disclaimer:**Harry Potter, the subsequent characters, and universe belong to J. K. Rowling.

**Summary:**Ron suspects that Rose might be dating Scorpius Malfoy. He enlists the help of Teddy to figure out if he's right, but Teddy becomes quickly entangled in the situation. Rose/Scorpius Rose/Teddy.

**Author's Note: **Another update. I'm so proud of myself. I hope you are all proud of me too.

**Something that is almost Important!: **Cast your vote on how you feel this should be rated if you have the time. Is it so risqué that the innocent eyes of fanfictiondom must be warned away by and M rating or is it safe enough to be placed under T? I could really use some advice on this as I always have trouble picking ratings. It won't get more intense than chapter 2, so decide based on that and maybe the language in chapter 3. God, I hate long author's notes don't you too.

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**Part 6: Welcome to Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry**

Teddy Lupin was well liked. It's just the type of person he was. He didn't have to make people like him either; they were just naturally drawn to his kind open personality. Girls fawned over him, boys wanted to be him, and children thought he was hilarious with his metamorphagus abilities. No doubt about it Teddy Lupin was a charmer, so this assignment should have been a breeze. As it turned out Teddy Lupin's alter ego Daniel Miller was not so adept at making friends.

Teddy was pretty sure all of his problems making friends started with being forced to be in the Slytherin house. Harry had arranged for him to live with the snakes believing that if any of the students knew what had happened it would be one of the Slytherins. This wasn't a bad assumption. For all of their cold detachedness, they seemed pretty informed of the happenings at the school. The students had been told Professor Wicks had passed away, yet everyone in Slytherin seemed to know he had been murdered.

Teddy had been living with the seventh year Slytherin's for three days now and had yet to make anything beyond a hostile acquaintance. Teddy stared at his strange face in the mirror: thick black hair, pale skin, a slightly wide nose and a thin lipped wide mouth to match, and a squared jaw. Teddy thought the overall affect made him look threatening; the slightly stocky frame that went along with the face only enhanced this impression. The only becoming feature was the blue green hazel eyes.

Dannyboy which is how Teddy began to refer to his alter ego in his mind was not a handsome man though he wasn't particularly atrocious either. However, he was plain enough to make it difficult to make friends. Teddy never realized how easy good looks made it to interact with other people. Girls and boys who would have admired and liked Teddy Lupin at just a glance ignored poor Dannyboy. The Slytherin's were also a naturally clever and suspicious lot and they were wary of the new student in their midst.

Students entering Hogwarts after 1st year were extremely rare. Of course they had prepared a cover story about him being home schooled by his mother until she recently passed away and then his muggle father sent him off to Hogwarts. In Teddy's opinion it was a pretty weak story. Oops Mum died, best get you out of my hair and off to Hogwarts where you can grieve around a bunch of strangers. Then again maybe that type of parenting was more common in the Slytherin house. It seemed Harry certainly thought so as he was the one to concoct the cover story and modify memories to match the story if anyone were to start digging in too deep.

Right now there was a sixty year old muggle man who until a week ago was single without any family that now believed he had a seventeen year old son at a wizard's school and had recently lost his wife. That bit of the arrangement's made Teddy uneasy and gave him a sick feeling in his stomach. The man was retired British intelligence and was aware of the magical community. Apparently he often helped the ministry out and had volunteered to have his memory temporarily modified. Teddy was learning more about the questionable morality inherent to his job and he didn't know how to feel about it. However, Harry assured him it was necessary, so Teddy gave up studying his reflection and pulled out of piece of parchment to write a letter to his father about how wonderful school was going and that he had made lots of friends. He listed the names of his dorm mates and made up some fun stories that were stolen from Teddy Lupin's first day at Hogwarts nearly 13 years ago.

As he was writing his letter Scorpius Malfoy entered with Blane Krivens another seventh year Slytherin. They were chuckling together until they noticed someone else in the dorm which immediately silenced them. Teddy rolled his eyes and went back to writing his letter. "I'm going to go on to dinner, want to come." Krivens asked Malfoy while he lingered by the dorm room door.

"You go on ahead. I have to grab something." Malfoy sauntered over to his bed casually, though Teddy was aware that one of his eyes was on Dannyboy at all times. The inverse was true as well as Teddy had stopped writing and was surreptitiously watching Malfoy. Malfoy grabbed a book and something that was green and metallic. Even at a distance Teddy immediately recognized it as Rosie's charm bracelet. Before he could help himself he blurted out in Dannyboy's deep voice, "What you got there?"

Malfoy's shoulders immediately tensed and he casually obscured the bracelet from view. "What's it to you," Malfoy snapped sharply. His cheeks had reddened slightly, but otherwise his face was completely expressionless.

"I was just curious," Teddy said and turned back to his letter. He heard Malfoy make a disgruntled non-committal sound before moving towards the exit.

"Hey Miller." Teddy looked up in surprise when he heard his cover's name. "Want to come down to dinner?" Malfoy offered in a neutral voice.

"Uh…I could eat," Teddy responded after recovering from his initial shock. He folded up his letter and shoved it into his pocket before joining Malfoy and leaving the cool dungeon. When they arrived at dinner he noticed Malfoy glance over at the Ravenclaw table and noticed Rose gave him an approving smile. Teddy looked over in surprise at Malfoy. He wondered if Rose had anything to do with the sudden invite to dinner. Malfoy didn't seem to notice that Dannyboy had seen the look between him and Rose and sat down next to Krivens at the Slytherin table.

Some of the Slytherins raised their eyebrows in mild curiosity but generally they ignored Miller's addition to their group. Malfoy began spooning food onto his plate as if nothing was out of the ordinary and Teddy followed his example. As soon as they began eating, a girl with short golden blonde hair and sharp green eyes sat down across from them. Here face was rounded and went well with her pert mouth and small nose. She was fairly pretty, though here eyebrows seemed to have been plucked into an eternally glowering position.

"Hi Scorpius," she purred leaning across the table. She had her robe undone and the top two buttons of her blouse had come undone as well. Teddy's thick black eyebrows shot up to his hairline. Were Hogwart's girls always so forward? He didn't remember them being like this to him.

The girl shot Dannyboy a knowing smirk when she noticed his look. "Madina," Malfoy replied curtly. He didn't even bother to look up from his food

Madina's smile faltered slightly, but she seemed to get a renewed vigor as she continued. She reached across the table and laid a hand on his forearm, the one that he wasn't using to eat with. Malfoy still didn't respond to Madina's blatant advances, but Teddy noticed his hand tighten about his fork slightly the knuckles becoming whiter and his eyes flicked in the direction of the Ravenclaw table. Teddy was desperate to see what Rose thought about this, but didn't want to risk looking in that direction and letting on that he knew more than he should.

Madina persistently pushed on despite all of the signals she was getting. It looked like Krivens was trying not to burst out laughing as he watched the two. "So I was thinking. Hogsmeade weekend is coming up shortly and I thought we could have some fun if we went together."

"I've already got plans," Malfoy told her flatly.

"Right then," she said her cheeks flushed. "Maybe another time?" Krivens was actually snickering out loud this time.

"I don't think so Madi," Malfoy said finally looking up from his dinner. He moved his arm carefully out of her grasp. "Oh," she said. Teddy could see she was embarrassed and her eyes were slightly glassy with moisture. "I just remembered I have to meet someone," she said airily making her escape from the great hall. Teddy couldn't help but feel badly for the girl. Krivens burst out laughing after she left the great hall.

"Shut up Krivens," Malfoy said coldly.

"Oh come on, now that was funny. She practically threw herself at you," he laughed wiping tears out of his eyes.

Malfoy shrugged noncommittally. "I don't see why you turned her down. I know she gets around, but she is hot!" Krivens went on looking ruefully towards where she had exited.

"Not all of us are led by what's in our pants."

This comment didn't seem to bother Krivens any. He leaned forward, so he could speak to Teddy. He jutted a thumb out at Malfoy. "Always worried about his reputation this one. Madina's not good enough to bless with the Malfoy name."

The corner of Malfoy's mouth quirked up a little and Teddy could have swore he saw his eyes flicker to the Ravenclaw table again. Though it could have been his imagination. "I don't suppose she is," Malfoy answered with a bit of fondness in his voice.

"You'd get with her, wouldn't you Miller?" Krivens went on completely missing any undercurrents in the conversation.

Teddy leaned his hulking frame back thoughtfully crossing his hands behind her head; might as well start playing his role. "She's pretty enough, but I always had a bit of a thing for smart girls." Teddy was purposefully trying to needle Malfoy. Sure Malfoy was the only person in Slytherin who had been nice to him and he seemed like a decent guy, but that didn't mean Teddy had to like him or the fact he was going out with Rose.

Krivens nodded. "I could see that. Uptight, librarian type with glasses, but a vixen in the sack. You know, a nice little Ravenclaw."

"I'll see you guys later." Malfoy said standing up abruptly.

"Whatever," Krivens said waving him off. Teddy nodded and watched him leave the hall. He glanced at the Ravenclaw table and saw that Rose was following the blonde with her eyes a slight frown on her face.

The next day Teddy was trying to write his essay for Herbology. How the hell was he supposed to learn anything about the case if he was being forced to spend all of his time studying. It had only been six years since he had been at Hogwart's. School shouldn't be this hard for him. He growled in frustration and chucked his Herbology book across the study table and it hit the Library's wall with a satisfying crack.

He placed his head on the table wallowing in how unfair his life was. He had graduated and had a great job; clearly, he didn't need to know this crap if he didn't remember any of it now. He heard someone walking towards his corner of the library; probably, the librarian to tell him to bugger off for damaging school property.

He kept his head down on the desk unwilling to talk to anyone. The footsteps walked past them and then he heard the person pick up the book and pull out a chair across from him.

"Here you dropped this," he heard as someone pushed a book into his arm. Teddy looked up warily only to see the familiar smiling face of Rose.

"Oh…I…I…uh," Teddy didn't know what to say. He hadn't talked to Rose in weeks and he had never been introduced to her as Danny Miller.

"Hi, I'm Rose," she said shuffling books she had in her arms so her right hand was free. She held it out for him to take. "Rose Weasley." Her smile was rather fetching with magically straightened teeth. Hermione had insisted that their children shouldn't be cursed with her genes. Besides her lively hair Rose looked remarkably like her father with a long narrow face, sloping nose, pouty lips, and a generous helping of freckles. The family made comments on how much she looked like Ron, much to the chagrin of him and his daughter. As the teasing often led to how no one ever realized how effeminate Ron looked until they met his daughter. Rose was also unnaturally tall and thin for a girl her age. Yet, she was still in Teddy's opinion and apparently in Scorpius's opinion quite pretty.

"Uh nice to meet you," Teddy replied gruffly and took the proffered hand. Her hands were warm and soft and Teddy quickly pulled away from her grasp. She raised an eyebrow at him, but didn't comment.

"Danny right," she asked.

"Uh yeah," he replied dumbly. "How'd you know?"

Rose smiled warmly at him again. "You get used to seeing the same faces after seven years, so a new one kind of stands out. Plus the whole announcement at the opening feast."

"Right, of course." Teddy blushed slightly. He was starting to worry that Rose would want to start a conversation or possibly worse a friendship with Danny Miller. Not that he didn't like talking to Rose, but she was more likely to catch on that Danny Miller had some similar habits to one Teddy Lupin.

"So what did the Herbology book do to you?"

"Huh?"

"You threw it at a wall," she explained. "It must have done something awful to deserve such treatment."

Teddy managed a low laugh at this. "Nothing beyond alluding my comprehension," he admitted. "Which deserves at least being thrown at a wall if not a fireplace."

"Then I must do my best never to confuse you," Rose laughed.

Teddy began to laugh too. Wait a second was Rosie flirting. Was Rosie Posey an unintentional flirt? "Well you're on the wrong track then, because I can't imagine why you would be talking to me."

Rosie's smile faltered a little. "Is it that bad?"

Wow, Rose was concerned about him and she hardly knew him. Suddenly Teddy found himself inexplicably jealous of himself. What would he give for Rose to be concerned for Teddy Lupin and not his alter ego. "No. It's fine. Just new school stuff you know." He mumbled trying to brush it off as nothing.

Rose seemed to hesitate before speaking again. "I know the Slytherins can be a bit cold and off putting, but if you give them some time I'm sure you'll find a few friends in your house." Hmm, wonder who she could possibly be talking about.

"Hmm," Teddy grunted non-commitally.

"Well until then maybe I can help you get to know your Herbology book better, so you won't have to throw it to the fire."

"That'd be really nice." Teddy smiled.

Two and a half hours later he went back to his dorm room with a ridiculously goofy grin on his face. As he entered he noticed Scorpius Malfoy sitting strangely enough on Danny Miller's bed.

The smile on Teddy's face fell immediately to be replaced by tight lipped confusion. "Uh…Hi," he offered with a small wave.

Scorpius stood up stiffly and looked down at the shorter boy. He looked every bit a Malfoy with an air of absolute superiority and disdain. Teddy was starting to feel slightly justified in his dislike of the boy. "I'd stay away from Rose Weasley if I were you."

'Would you really?' Teddy thought to himself mockingly. Somehow he doubted that Malfoy would be avoiding Rose any time soon. "Eh…why," Teddy asked guardedly. He had a pretty good idea as to why Scorpius thought he should stay away from Rose.

"She's a Weasley. It's like Hogwarts royalty and she is off limits to anyone in Slytherin who doesn't want to face a quick death at the hands of her many many many relatives and be ostracized from our house." Scorpius said it all with a cool detachedness, but Teddy wondered if what he was saying hit a bit close to home for the blonde. He was surprised that Malfoy didn't bring blood status into the mix.

"Huh…" Teddy responded. "Well, she seemed nice to me."

"She is nice," Scorpius said flatly. "But that doesn't change the fact that you are on opposite sides."

"Opposite sides of what," Teddy asked slightly confused. Could this have anything to do with his case or was Malfoy speaking about the territories of the adolescent social world?

Apparently Malfoy didn't feel the need to clarify that statement, because he retreated to his own bed and closed the curtains. Teddy sat down on his own bed heavily. It was brilliant talking to Rose and studying with her. It was like being seventeen again and he was getting to know the spunky red head on a whole new level, but Malfoy was right. He needed to stay away from Rose and focus on the case. If he didn't solve this, there was a chance that an innocent person could pay the price.


	7. The Bracelet

**Disclaimer:**Harry Potter, the subsequent characters, and universe belong to J. K. Rowling.

**Summary:**Ron suspects that Rose might be dating Scorpius Malfoy. He enlists the help of Teddy to figure out if he's right, but Teddy becomes quickly entangled in the situation. Rose/Scorpius Rose/Teddy.

**Author's Note:** I apologize for the length of this chapter, but no one will read this apology because none of you read author's notes. Admit it! I'm on to you.

Anyways I am changing this to a T rating and if anyone asks me to switch it back to M I will, but no one has given me any input on ratings so I am making this decision on my own. I've gone mad with power I tell you! Absolutely mad!

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Part 7: The Bracelet

Even if Teddy wanted to heed Scorpius's warning about avoiding Rose, he really didn't have a choice in the matter. She seemed to have taken him on as a sort of project. Honestly, if he didn't know Rose so well already, he probably would not be enjoying her _charitable_ attention. She tended to be a bit controlling and short tempered, but it was something Teddy was familiar with, so he fondly allowed her to nag him and just ignored her as he chose. Teddy also got to spend ample times with Albus which generally lightened the time he and Rose spent together.

Al appeared to be a bit shy at school, especially when you compared him to his out going brother and bubbly sister. Teddy figured it had something to do with being sorted into Ravenclaw, then again Rose seemed outgoing enough. Despite his shyness, he seemed to take a liking to Dannyboy quickly enough. Teddy was wondering if he should be concerned about Al's tendency to fraternize with Slytherins. He had known Al and Malfoy were friends, but they spent practically every free period together with Rose of course.

Teddy's presence sure threw a wrench in that dynamic. The general population of Hogwarts did not know about Rose and Malfoy, and it looked like they wanted to keep it that way. Given Ron's reaction to the letter, Teddy had no doubt that it was a wise idea. This was all well and good, but Teddy was pretty sure he was intruding on what used to be Rose and Scorpius time considering the constant glare Malfoy locked on him when he spent time with them. Teddy also suspected that Al knew about the relationship and had a feeling when it had just been the three of them the group had been a more friendly place to be.

With Danny's presence it was a tense environment. Rose and Malfoy acted civilly towards each other, but the conversations generally lapsed into uncomfortable silences. All four were enjoying one of these awkward moments now as they sat out on the sloping lawn of Hogwarts studying and chatting. The only person who seemed unperturbed by the silence was Rose. She was contentedly searching through books and hadn't seemed to notice the lull in the quidditch conversation.

Teddy hated these silences because it caused his mind to wander and worry. He worried about Victoire and their lack of communication. He had told her that he was on a job and wouldn't be able to mail her and any mail she sent wouldn't reach him as it would be intercepted by the ministry to keep his cover from being blown. She hadn't responded to that letter, at least not that Teddy was aware of. Beside his problems with Victoire work wasn't going well either.

He and those working inside the ministry had very little luck with the investigation. They couldn't discern a motive or a possible suspect. The only evidence they had uncovered at this point came from Teddy's snooping around the potions cupboards. Professor Wick's had kept meticulous records about his stores. It seemed he was slightly paranoid, but possibly for good reason considering he ended up dead. After comparing the inventory and the actual ingredients, Teddy noticed a few vials and jars were missing. Most of the ingredients were used to make the poison that killed Wicks. However, this information only led to more questions. They hadn't seriously considered the possibility before, but now it appeared the culprit was likely a resident of Hogwarts which meant possibly the students.

The ministry was keeping this theory hushed up. No one wanted to admit that option. Plus, if parents got wind of their children being suspects or in danger they might pull them out of school which would only further hinder the slow moving investigation.

Teddy scratched his left eyebrow uncomfortably trying to distract himself from his thoughts. Malfoy's constant glaring was also not helping him to relax; he cast his eyes away from Malfoy and tried to focus on something else. Teddy's eyes wandered across the books sprawled out on the grass which Rose was leaning over furiously searching for references. Her hair was loose and tangled with grass and other vegetation from constantly shifting her position as she studied. Her eyebrows were slightly furrowed as she glanced between two of the larger volumes deciding which to move on to next. Rose made an excellent distraction. Teddy had quite forgotten about Malfoy's blatant hostility as he focused on her fingers nimbly skimming the leather covers of the books somehow coming to the conclusion that the one on the right would suit her purposes best. Rose flipped the book open and pulled her lower lip in between her teeth as she began skimming the contents.

Suddenly the arm Teddy had been propping his head up with as he leaned on his side watching Rose was kicked out from under him. He face planted into the damp grass before he had a chance to catch himself. He heard Albus's unmistakable snort as if he was trying to hold back a laugh. Teddy raised himself from the ground crossly glaring at Al and then at Malfoy whose leg which had previously been bent now stretched out to where Teddy's arm used to be. Malfoy was valiantly trying to hide a smirk, but succeeding no more than Al trying not to laugh. Rose had just looked up from her book and glanced from Teddy to Malfoy.

"Sorry, slipped," Malfoy apologized with a look of exaggerated regret.

"Scorpius," rose chided and reached over to swat his prostrate leg. However, Teddy couldn't help but notice her mouth held a hidden smile.

Malfoy looked mortally offended. "The goody goody, Rose Weasley, striking another student? Won't the headmaster be appalled to hear about this!" Malfoy exclaimed.

Rose's eyes flashed playfully. "You wouldn't dare Malfoy."

"And why not," He asked raising an elegant pale eyebrow. "I have no Gryffindor scruples holding me back." Teddy thought he probably didn't have any scruples Gryffindor or otherwise.

Rose winked and tapped the side of her freckled nose, "Ah, but I have at least a shelf on my bookcase dedicated to holding blackmail material for one Scorpius Malfoy in case I should ever need it."

Al put his arm around Malfoy's shoulders in consolation participating in the ruse. "It's true I've seen it. I've even contributed my fair share, sorry to say mate." Al did his best to look Morose, though Teddy thought it looked more like he had caught his thumb in the door and was grimacing in pain.

"Al, you traitor!"

"But she promised to hand over any and all evidence regarding some of my minor misdemeanors," Al offered in explanation.

"And some less minor," Rose amended.

"You both should have been sorted into Slytherin," Malfoy accused jokingly.

"Ravenclaw, Slytherin, same thing really," Al said as he placed his hands behind his head and leaned back in the grass. "Oh, except we're smarter."

Teddy rolled his eyes at the three. How could they possibly have kept their relationship secret, when it appeared that they had almost forgotten about his presence? He decided to remind them that Dannyboy was watching before they ran off together to catch a quick snog.

"That's a nice bracelet. Where'd you get it Rose?" He interrupted the friends' playful banter.

Rose looked over at him with a smile. "Oh it was a gift from Sc…" she seemed to come to her senses and Malfoy had sent her a warning look. "From a friend of mine a few years back." She finished lamely. She seemed to realize she would need to change the conversation quickly to cover up her blunder.

Rose removed her bracelet and scooted closer to Teddy, so her hip was almost touching his side. He could feel the heat of her body she was so close to him. He was so distracted by her closeness that he startled a little when she dangled the charm bracelet in front of his face. The bracelet was a silver chain with five small emeralds evenly dispersed around the band. She had several charms that she had collected over the years hanging from it. "Each of the charms represents someone I know. See, here I am." She pointed to an intricately carved silver rose hanging from the chain.

Teddy looked over the rose, but his eyes were immediately drawn to the coiled snake that was hooked right next to the rose. It looked like an identical miniature of the snake that had killed Professor Wicks minus the needle like teeth. Teddy unconsciously reached for the bracelet wanting to examine it more closely, but Rose jerked it away before he had a chance to touch it.

"No way," she said shaking her wild red hair. "No one gets to touch this but me. I didn't talk to my brother, Hugo, for a month after he lost my charm for Al. Luckily, Al made me a new one, but I don't want to risk blowing up at you." She blushed slightly. "I have a bit of a temper," she confessed.

Of course, Teddy knew Rose had quite the temper, but Danny didn't. "I couldn't believe that," he said sincerely.

"Believe it," Malfoy and Al said together. They looked at each other and then started laughing. Rose got a little red around the ears before joining in and eventually Teddy let out a couple of forced laughs.

He would have liked to join in the fun, but he was very suspicious of Rose's charm bracelet and especially about the person represented by the snake. Teddy looked over at the blonde slytherin apprehensively. Was the boy capable of murder?

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Additional Author's Note: I do love reviews, but who doesn't love getting reviews. Then again how many of you print them out and snuggle them at night as if they were your security blanket?


	8. The Thief

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter, the subsequent characters, and universe belong to J. K. Rowling.

**Summary: **Ron suspects that Rose might be dating Scorpius Malfoy. He enlists the help of Teddy to figure out if he's right, but Teddy becomes quickly entangled in the situation. Rose/Scorpius Rose/Teddy.

**Author's note:** I know it's been a while since I updated which is why I didn't make any promises about when I'll update. That's as close to an apology as you'll get and I know half of you are as bad as me and just as hypocritical.

Thank you for all of the reviews. They do encourage me to write. Even though my slow updates might make it look like they don't matter. Just imagine how slow the updates would be if I didn't have your encouragement. (Not intended as a threat, just a form of thanks).

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**Part 8: The Thief**

Teddy had to get that charm away from Rosie. The second he had been free from the group he rushed to his Slytherin dorm to check the case file. After looking over the photograph again he was sure it was the same snake in the same position. Teddy jotted down a note on the file to check if there was any significance or symbolism to this type of snake or its position. It looked like the murder weapon may have been even more than a clever way to deliver poison. This snake could be the next dark mark and one of them was hanging off of Rosie's wrist.

Teddy shoved the file away when he heard the soft padding of footsteps on the stone stairway. He pulled out a text book and flipped it open to a random page.

Krivens entered the room wearing muddied quidditch robes and a satisfied grin. "Gryfindors don't stand a chance even with Potter on the team."

It seemed Krivens expected some kind of response. "I thought Potter was in Ravenclaw," Teddy offered.

"Oh he is. I'm talking about the girl Potter," Krivens explained with a gleam in his eye. Teddy could feel the hackles on the back of his neck beginning to rise, after all Lily was like a little sister to him. "Fifth year, bloody gorgeous, and not half bad at quidditch. But it was definitely the looks that killed us last term. Smith had a thing for her, and I don't blame him, but he let every goal she took slide by him." Krivens chuckled to himself as he reminisced.

Krivens tapped his forehead and made a knowing gesture. "But I caught on to Potter's game this year. Trained up Josephina Blanche for our keeper." Krivens frowned slightly as if he had just thought of something. "As long as she's not a lezzie we should be fine. Though if anyone could make a girl switch teams it would be Potter." Teddy tried not to grimace he really did, but he couldn't help the look of disgust that crossed his face. Honestly, how could anyone look at little Lily that way. She was barely fifteen and Krivens was treating her like some sort of a Veela.

Krivens cocked a sandy eyebrow. "What not your type?" he asked as he began to strip out of his dirty robes. "Oh that's right you go for the Ravenclaws, like Rose Weasley."

Teddy looked up sharply and began to splutter. "Wha..I don't"

Kriven's waved off his excuses. "It's obvious you like her. You spend practically every day with her."

"Not every day." Teddy said meekly.

"Uh huh." Krivens pulled a loose black shirt on and turned to face Teddy. "Well if you are going after Weasley, I feel I should warn you…"

"Malfoy already explained it to me," Teddy interrupted rolling his eyes. Honestly, since when did unspoken house rules become so dramatic? "Go out with a Weasley and face being cast from the house."

Blane smiled at him as if he were a very stupid child. "Look Danny. I don't care whether you like Weasley or not. A girl's a girl as far as I'm concerned and they're all worth a look. Hell, I'd date Potter if I didn't think she'd cut my balls off while I was sleeping." Teddy couldn't help but smile at the thought that little Lily struck fear into the hearts of strapping seventh year boys. "But you got to understand something about Rose Weasley."

"And what's that?" Teddy asked sincerely curious.

"She's Albus Potter's favorite cousin and you do not cross Albus Potter."

"Al?" Teddy said incredulously before he started laughing. However, Krivens face remained dead serious.

"I know you're all buddy buddy with him now, because Weasley has taken some kind of liking to you. But trust me when I say you do not want to be on the wrong end of that boy's wand."

Teddy just continued to look at him disbelievingly. I mean he was talking about Al, the shy boy who was nice enough to make friends with Slytherins. "He may not look like much, but he's the top dueler in the school. The last boy to make Weasley cry was in a coma for three weeks." Krivens had lowered his voice slightly as if he were afraid of being overheard. "They couldn't pin it on him, but he is Weasley's self-appointed protector."

Ah it made sense to Teddy now. Malfoy was Rose's over zealous defender, but no one in the school knew about them, so they just assumed Al was responsible. The Hogwart's rumor mill must be churning extra hard to transform meek little Al into a big bad wolf. Teddy wanted to role his eyes, but instead put on Dannyboy's best thoughtful/thankful look. "Wow, thanks for warning me," Teddy breathed out.

If Krivens noted any sarcasm in Teddy's voice he didn't remark on it. Teddy spent the rest of the evening and most of dinner creating a plan to get a hold of the charm on Rose's bracelet. The sooner he got that snake off of it the better. It could be just a harmless charm, but he'd much rather play it safe.

After dinner was finished he slipped into an alcove hidden by a tapestry, being related to Weasley's and Potters did give him a better background knowledge of the school than the average student. Plus, he had once been in possession of the famed marauder's map until he had passed it on to the next generation of trouble makers.

Thinking about the map made Teddy's blood freeze. Whoever was in possession of that map would know Teddy Lupin was inside Hogwarts. After the moment of heart freezing terror had passed Teddy was able to rationalize the situation. After all he had graduated before any of this generation started school here. Merlin, he was getting old. Anyways, the holder of the map wasn't likely to recognize his name. They'd probably just think he was a first year or something. Unless of course the Weasleys or Potters had it, but then they probably would have already discovered him, so in all likeliness Teddy's identity was safe.

Teddy was drawn back to the present as he heard more people leave the great hall. He scrunched up his face in concentration before shrinking over a foot and growing long dirty blonde hair and girl parts. Teddy did not like changing his male anatomy. It made him feel funny, and he always had the irrational fear that he would get stuck this way. It was these kinds of things that brought the rare bitterness out in Teddy. His mom should have been there to talk him through being a metamorphmagus, but she couldn't because she was dead. He never managed to figure out exactly who he was angry at. He only knew he was angry.

However, there was no way getting around being a girl, a real girl; it was the only way to get a hold of the bracelet. Teddy transfigured his robes so they would fit and he was now sporting Ravenclaw colors.

Teddy shivered at the feeling of wearing a new skin. He didn't think he would ever get completely used to the sensation of switching bodies. He tripped up the stairs after a gaggle of Ravenclaw fourth years hoping they were heading towards their tower and still trying to adjust his stride to the new height.

Two hours later he was standing outside of the entrance to Ravenclaw. Mind you he had found it about 1 hour and 50 minutes ago and spent the rest of the time trying to figure out the damn riddle the stupid door kept asking him. At the moment a chubby thirteen year old girl stomping about outside a statue and swearing like a 23 year old auror was catching a few inquisitive glances, but no offers to help her get into the tower.

The statue repeated once again:

I cover cities and destory mountains,  
I make men blind, yet help them see.

"Oh shut up already! That's the stupidest vaguest riddle I've ever heard," he told the door petulantly in a high pitched voice.

"Sand," said a voice that came from a height no human voice should come from. Teddy spun around with a girlish shriek which caused him to blush furiously. Great now he's acting like a thirteen year old girl too. He looked up to see the floating form of the Grey Lady.

"Excuse me," Teddy stuttered slightly.

"The answer is sand," she repeated morosely.

"Oh thanks," Teddy said noticing the door had sprung open.

"Wait I don't think I've seen you before," the apparition began to say, but Teddy had already skipped through the door into the jewel blue common room. He didn't have much time to waste considering it was now rather late.

He looked at the stair cases. Hmm, left or right. He took a tentative step up the left staircase wondering if this was indeed the girl's side and if it was would his disguise fool the spell on the collapsing stairs. You would have thought that Teddy Lupin would have tried this before as he was just as curious about the girl's dormitory as the next bloke, but he really didn't like having girl parts. Besides it would have been to embarrassing to confess to his friends how he had managed to climb the stairs anyway.

Teddy edged up the stairs carefully and looked for a sign marking the seventh year dormitory. He went up three flights of stairs before locating the right dorm. Before entering he cast a quick disillusionment spell on himself. It wouldn't stand up to even a passing glance in the bright firelight of the common room making anything behind him overly fuzzy, but in the darkened room he should be near invisible. He cautiously edged open the door hoping everyone was asleep or staying out past curfew.

The room was dark but the light cast from the stars and moon coming through the open windows gave him enough light to manage with and from the look of the closed curtains most of the occupants had settled in for the night. The room resembled any other dormitory, but the four posters had blue curtains instead of red or green. Teddy also took note of some makeup bags lining the armoire and he let out a breath he was holding. At least he had picked the right set of stars that was an improvement after his earlier abysmal start.

He edged along the beds as quietly as possible checking the tops of nightstands and closed trunks for any sign of the charm bracelet. However, it looked like all of his good fortune had been used up in locating the correct room. He did after a closer inspection manage to find with 89 certainty Rosie's bed. There was a stack of books poured haphazardly on the nightstand next to it and he recognized Rose's untidy scrawl on one of the pieces of parchment.

He carefully opened the top drawer of the nightstand to begin his search for the bracelet. He failed to stifle a gasp of surprise when he saw all of his letters to Rose staring up at him. Teddy, despite being on a mission, had continued to write to Rosie in an attempt to lighten her attitude towards himself. Of course he hadn't received any responses, and he had informed her similar to Victoire that she would be unable to contact him. However, he had only half-expected her to actually be reading them.

It had become a bit of a ritual writing a letter every other day to Rose as well as his muggle father. In Rose's he had at first been apologetic, then rather formal, and finally he had begun revealing the stress involved in his mission (without details of course). It had become more like writing in a diary than anything else when he wasn't to receive a response. He suddenly felt rather embarrassed about the growing insecurities he had been disclosing to Rosie unthinkingly.

The letters to his muggle father had been rather therapeutic as well. To Rose he reveled in telling someone who he truly was. In the letters to his _father_, he finally had a chance to have the relationship he always desired. The letters he received from the muggle were rather short and slightly awkward, but Teddy always thought there an understood fondness and a hint of pride. Teddy wrote to Jack, his muggle father, a lot about Rose. It might not have been the smartest thing to do considering it could get back to Harry, which would be an (oh sooooooo) awkward thing to explain, but Jack's responses brought him a lot of comfort.

Teddy shook himself back into reality and began rummaging through the pieces of parchment and envelopes. He had slightly forgotten the need for discretion and was making more noise than strictly necessary. He was about to close the drawer and move on to Rose's trunk when the blue curtains next to him were flung open and a wide eyed Rosie rasped out Lumos.

Teddy had little time to do anything but withdraw his hands from the open drawer. He dared not move after that. He should have cast silencing spells on all of the beds; it had been stupid not to take more precautions. She looked around wide eyed before noticing the partially open drawer. Her brow furrowed slightly, but after a moment she just reached out of bed in order to close it. As she was leaning her hair brushed Teddy's arms and sent the hairs on his arms on end. As her hand touched the edge of the drawer he heard her breathe in deeply.

"Teddy?" she said in a confused whisper. Teddy nearly choked, but managed not to move or make a sound; though his breathing seemed to be unnaturally loud tonight. Teddy could not see her face from this angle, but he was sure her expression was the one she used when figuring out an especially difficult rune translation. After a moment she shut the drawer with a snap. "Must be the letters…or I'm going crazy," Rose chuckled slightly to herself.

As Rose extinguished her lumos, Teddy finally relaxed enough to notice the gleam of silver on her wrist. Rose didn't close her curtains before lying back down to sleep. After nearly half an hour of staring at Rose's closed eyes awaiting the smallest flutter of her eyelashes Teddy finally relaxed his muscles. After another half hour of her continuous deep breathing he was brave enough to move his arms and step closer to the bed.

It took him another hour to finally work up the courage to attempt to take the bracelet. In all likeliness it would have taken much longer, but he realized daylight would soon be breaking.

He held his breath and reached out towards her wrist which was lying next to her head cushioned by a mass of curls. He couldn't fathom how the charms didn't become tangled in the mess of hair. He carefully pinched the snake charm between two fingers holding it taught on the connecting chain. He then used a severing charm and the snake came loose with surprisingly little resistance. A small lock of Rose's hair had accidentally come loose as well. He hesitated a moment before grabbing that as well and rushing out of the room down the stairs and sneaking back to the Slytherin dormitory.

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	9. The Morning After

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter, the subsequent characters, and universe belong to J. K. Rowling.

**Summary:** Ron suspects that Rose might be dating Scorpius Malfoy. He enlists the help of Teddy to figure out if he's right, but Teddy becomes quickly entangled in the situation. Rose/Scorpius Rose/Teddy.

**Author's Note:** I'm amazed that I finally updated. I know I'm a terrible person.

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Part 8: The Morning After

Teddy never felt so relieved to be wearing a stranger's skin again. Dannyboy's height and girth were oddly familiar and comforting after his brief stint as a girl. He had morphed back the second he was out of the Ravenclaw dormitory and properly hidden. The golden hair retreating back into his skull growing thicker as it changed color. Midtransformation he remembered to transfigure his robes as they began pulling against his expanding chest and stomach. He let out a sigh of relief as everything grew back into place while other things retreated. Never again, he swore to himself, though he knew it was a promise he was likely to break.

He disillusioned himself once again and headed back to the Slytherin dorms. No one saw him, though he did see a couple of other students out of bed. Had it ever occurred to the professors to spell the dorms closed after curfew? You would think they almost encouraged this kind of behavior.

Fortunately, the Slytherin common room was empty. He disillusioned himself and went to his dormitory to catch a bit of sleep before morning. He still had maybe two or three hours before everyone started waking up. He paused before getting into bed. All of the curtains were closed and he couldn't help but staring at where Malfoy lay. He had the overwhelming urge to fling open the curtain and beat the crap out of the slimy snake. What was the bastard doing to Rosie, or what did he plan to do to her. Did he even like her at all, or was he just playing games. He seemed like a decent enough guy most of the time, but then again everyone thought Tom Riddle was an okay bloke.

Before he decided to do something stupid like tear the head off of a seventeen year old boy while he slept, Teddy climbed into bed fully clothed and pulled his curtains shut forcefully. He'd kill Malfoy later he decided; after he had some solid evidence or could at least arrange a scenario where he could plead self-defense.

Teddy tried to sleep, but he realized rather quickly that he wouldn't be any time soon. Instead he decided to work out some of his frustration on the case. He pulled the pendant out of his pocket along with the curl of red hair. He stroked it once absentmindedly before laying it next to the pendant on the bed.

Why would Malfoy give her such a thing? It would be obvious to anyone who saw it that it had a striking similarity to the murder weapon. Then again, who was likely to see the charm and the murder weapon? Well, Harry for one. Why hadn't Harry noticed it? Then again Teddy hadn't noticed it until she pushed the bracelet under his nose. Could Scorpius be trying to frame Posey for the murder? There was a long standing hatred between the Malfoys and the Weasleys. If Harry noticed the charm he would be obligated to question her on it, but then the charm would point back to Scorpius. Rose's word would be taken over Scorpius's in a second, so that didn't exactly make sense either.

Rose has had the charm bracelet for a few years, so maybe he gave her the charm awhile ago and wasn't thinking when he created the weapon. He suddenly doubted that Scorpius was capable of the level of magic needed to make the thing that killed Wicks. Though he probably had more access to dark magic than your average student, but he didn't have any motive. Maybe someone was trying to frame Scorpius Malfoy. Teddy growled in frustration.

Clearly thinking or trying to figure out anything at this point in the investigation was a waste of time. Why had even thought he could become an auror. He was going to blow his first big case.

"Stop acting like a whiny child," he hissed to himself. "You can do this." What he needed was more clues. He decided to start with the charm. He cast a quick silencio on his bed before attempting a few revealing spells on the charm.

Half an hour later the charm stared back at him with its silver eyes. This was absolutely ridiculous. Not a single curse. Absolutely nothing. Apparently neither thinking or spell casting were his strong points as an auror.

"Okay," He tried to calm his frustration. "Doesn't have to be a curse does it." He started going through a list of spells to reveal benign enchantments. Immediately he detected a durability spell, but that was standard on most wizarding jewelry. The bracelet shouldn't break unless magically broken.

Teddy felt his heart rate increase. That could pose a bit of a problem. Rose might be a bit more suspicious to have a charm go missing with a durability spell on her bracelet. "Spell could have worn thin," he tried to calm himself. She couldn't know for certain.

There was something niggling at the back of his mind. There had to be something else her. He kept thinking about one of Harry's stories, but he wasn't sure why it would be important.

Portkeys! "Portus Aperio". At first Teddy thought that it didn't work, just like all of the other spells he had used tonight. However, after a few seconds he noticed a faint pulsing motion coming from the charm. There was no color, but the air around it seemed to distort slightly. Definitely a portkey.

"Bloody Hell," Teddy whispered. He picked up the little charm and spun it in between his thumb and forefinger. "Fuck!" he shouted and through it down on the bed. Fuck, Rosie was in danger.

Teddy buried his hands in his black hair. He had to do something. Someone was after Posey, someone that had already killed. Teddy shoved back his curtain and stormed over to Malfoy's bed. He pulled back the curtain of the other boy's bed angrily.

It was still dark out, so it didn't take long for the blonde boy to recognize the stocky figure standing above him. "Danny, what the hell?" Malfoy said in a voice husky with sleep.

Teddy clenched and unclenched his fists. He just stood there silently looking at the blonde. "Miller, you're starting to creep me out." Malfoy kept his eyes on Teddy while one of his hands reached toward his night table and his wand.

Teddy blinked. He needed to get a hold of himself. "Scorpius?"

Scorpius let out a shaky breath and fell against his pillow. "You scared the pants off me. What is wrong with you?"

Teddy shook his head. He needed to leave before he did something he would regret. "I guess, I was sleep walking," he said gruffly.

"Right, well go do that somewhere else." Scorpius muttered as he turned away from Teddy, pulling the curtains closed as he did so.

Teddy scooped up the charm and bit of hair from the bed and left the dormitory. He needed to clear his head and think about this for awhile. It was early, but curfew had been lifted for those few students that liked to study before the sun began to rise. First thing Teddy had to do was get to the owlery, and mail off the portkey, so they could trace the destination.

Of course Rose would have to go in for questioning, and her boyfriend would become the main suspect in a murder investigation. Teddy didn't really have a problem with that, but Rose wasn't likely to forgive him. Then again. A brief scenario flashed before his mind where Rose wrapped her arms around her savior, Teddy Lupin.

"Unlikely," he snorted to himself. But this was his job, and she really shouldn't have gotten involved with Malfoy in the first place. Honestly she should have known better.

He placed a freezing charm on the portkey, in case it was set to activate within the next couple of days. Hopefully the owl would deliver it before the charm wore off. He wrote a quick note to Harry.

Director,

Found on student 27F1. T.C. B05 detected. Trace. Important.

All notes to the ministry had to be slightly coded in case intercepted; the largest threat being the daily profit having no scruples about printing classified information even if it hindered an investigation. Rose's code translated to Ravenclaw, 7th year, female, Oldest. Harry would know immediately who the charmed belonged to and she would be safe in his protection while Teddy continued to figure things out at the school.

He was walking back down from the owelry when he heard soft muttering and caught a glimpse of red hair. Posey? He hesitated before turning and following after the figure.

He had lost sight of her, but noticed that one of the classroom doors was open. Charms? He quietly entered the classroom, but didn't spot Rose anywhere. Then he heard grumbling coming from lower than he expected. Rose Weasley was on her hands and knees scavenging under the desks. She still had her pajamas on. He hadn't noticed how adorably atrocious they were when he was in her room earlier. They were faded pink dotted with penguins and polar bears.

"Rose?" Teddy asked chuckling slightly. Rose shot up when she heard her name, cracking her head loudly on the desk above her. "Ow. Merlin's balls." She whimpered as she climbed out from under the desk.

Teddy almost choked with laughter. He still couldn't get used to hearing her swear.

"Danny?" Rose looked up from the floor. She clutched the back of her head with her hand. "Are you laughing at me?" she asked.

"No." Teddy still said trying to hold back a laugh. He coughed to clear his throat. "No," he repeated more sternly. Be a gentlemen he heard his Grandma's voice whisper harshly in his ear. "Are you alright?" He kneeled down next to her closer than was strictly necessary.

"I suppose I will be," Rose grumbled. "It just smarts a bit."

"Let me see." He maneuvered behind her slightly placing one hand on her shoulder. He felt her stiffen slightly under his touch, but she didn't pull away. With his other hand he scooped up a mass of her soft curls and pushed them to the side to reveal where she bumped her head. She winced a little as he did this. Teddy couldn't help but remember the last time he touched her hair and felt a shiver run up his spine. He snorted to himself. Honestly, just because he looked like a seventeen year old boy didn't mean he inherited the raging hormones. He was being ridiculous.

There was no blood, but it did look like a bump may be forming on the top of her head. "It's not cut, but maybe you should see the nurse anyways." He let her hair drop and rested his free hand on her other shoulder.

This turned out to be too much for Rose, because she suddenly pulled out of his grasp and turned to face him. "Um, thanks." Was she blushing? "You know you're not like the other Slytherin boys."

"Oh," Teddy replied in a non-committal manner.

Rose's blush deepened, but she continued on. "I mean not that Slytherin's are bad, you're just different than them. You're more gentle and quiet. Not like a conniving quiet. More like a Hufflepuff."

"Oh," Teddy repeated less than impressed. Hey no guy liked to be called a hufflepuff even if they were sorted into the house.

"I meant it as a compliment, you idiot." Rose definitely had inherited the Weasley blush. It went from her ears, across her face, down her neck, and onto her… "What are you doing up anyways?" Rose interrupted Teddy's thoughts which had been about to take a very inappropriate turn.

"Oh…mailing a letter to my Dad," Teddy picked the first plausible lie that popped into his mind. Not even much of a lie, since Harry was pretty much his Dad.

"It must be hard on him, having you so far away," she said quietly. They were still sitting very close to each other. She placed her hand on top of his. Teddy felt his heart rate increase. This is bloody ridiculous. Maybe there were actual physiological side effects to staying in this shape for so long.

"Yeah," Teddy replied trying to keep Dannyboy's voice sounding normal.

"Do you miss him?"

"I suppose," Teddy replied. It was kind of hard to miss someone you never met. Oh wait, no it wasn't. "Actually, I miss him a lot. Mum too."

"I'm sorry Danny." She squeezed his hand slightly.

"It's not so bad. You get used to it after awhile." Teddy was starting to feel extremely uncomfortable with the conversation. It was getting very personal. He hadn't shared his feelings this much since James was born and Harry and Ginny tried to explain to him that james wasn't exactly his little brother though just as good as brothers. Teddy never thought "just as good as" was good enough.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No." Teddy said abruptly and moved his hand away from hers. "What are you doing up and crawling under desks?" Teddy changed the conversation abruptly.

"Oh, silly thing really." She looked up at him suddenly through narrowed eyes. "If I tell you, you have to promise not to tell Al or Scorpius." She forgot to say Malfoy, Teddy noted.

"Promise."

"I lost Albus's charm for my bracelet. He's going to kill me, because it's the second time in the last couple of months." Teddy's mind stuttered to a stop.

* * *

**AN:** Normally I don't make promises on updates (I can never seem to update on time), but because this is a lame cliff hanger I will post the **next chapter within two weeks**. I anticipate there to be anger, but I swear it's not what it seems.


	10. The Confession

**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter, the subsequent characters, and universe belong to J. K. Rowling.

**Summary:** Ron suspects that Rose might be dating Scorpius Malfoy. He enlists the help of Teddy to figure out if he's right, but Teddy becomes quickly entangled in the situation. Rose/Scorpius Rose/Teddy.

**Author's Note:** Yeah I'm a lame person that never updates and breaks promises, but I've yet to abandon the story. Forgive me.  
P.S. We need more Teddy/Rose fanfiction come on people.

* * *

Chapter 1: The Confession

When Teddy's mind began functioning again Rose was listing off places in Hogwarts. It took him awhile to realize she was talking about the places she had searched or possibly the places she needed to search; He wasn't quite sure. "It seems impossible to find," Rose sighed heavily.

"Well if you see it let me know. It's a small silver snake." Rose had pushed herself up off the ground.

"S..snake?" Teddy managed to finally spit out.

"Did you say something?" Rose held out her hand for Teddy. He hesitated a moment before grabbing it and allowing her to help him up.

Teddy coughed slightly trying to pull his thoughts together. "Snake seems a bit odd for Ravenclaw is all."

"Well the charms aren't for the houses," she blushed slightly. "They're for each person's name. It's silly really, but the first charm that was on it was a Rose for Rose and it just went from there. A crown for my father," Possibly she noticed the blank look on his face she elaborated, "Ronald can mean ruler or king." Rose tucked some hair behind her ear and began fidgeting. "Not that they're all like that. I have a teddy for Teddy, which is rather obvious and the star for, um well I'm probably boring you, sorry." Rose bit her lip when Teddy didn't say anything. It wasn't intentional; he was just trying to take it all in. Malfoy was the star and she still had a charm for him.

Rose motioned towards the door. "Well places to check and all that, so I'll just get going then."

Teddy shook his head. "Um, no, you're not boring me. I was…uh just trying to figure out the Albus/snake thing."

"Oh," Rose drew her eyebrows together. "It's just his initials ASP. See yah Danny." Rose gave him a half wave and a confused smile before leaving.

Teddy rubbed his face vigorously with his hands trying to bring some sense back into the world. The charm was going to lead back to Al and then the investigation would turn up what…that Al killed, no. There was just no way. And there was no motive.

It was just a coincidence. A quarter of the school was represented by a snake. It could still be anyone. Except that his was a portkey.

Teddy knew it was time to step back and let someone else take over the case. He was clearly too involved at this point. When Harry got the charm he would sort it all out and find out what was going on, but Teddy was already making his way towards the Ravenclaw tower. He never ended up doing what he knew he should.

He waited for a good half hour before the statue moved aside and Al came out still looking a bit ruffled from sleep. His hair could use a good brush and he had missed a button while getting ready making his collar stick up oddly. Teddy didn't hesitate. He just grabbed Al's arm and pulled him down the hallway.

Al didn't seem a bit phased by this rough treatment. "Hey Danny," he yawned out. "Have you seen what's for breakfast yet?"

Teddy felt a desperate desire to shake him. "We need to talk."

"Is this about Rose?"

Teddy halted yanking on Al's arm roughly. "Hey be careful, this is my good shirt." After the brisk walk they were now a fair distance away from the paths leading to the great hall. The hallway was empty, though the buzz from students traveling to breakfast could still be heard.

"Why'd you say Rose?"

Al yanked his arm out of Teddy's grasp and tried to straighten his shirt out a bit. "Well, I couldn't think of any other reason you'd drag me about the castle at this hour. It's not exactly a secret you've taken a fancy to her. Clearly you want to ask my permission, and let me say you are not making a good case for yourself." Al quirked up the corners of his mouth into an annoyingly smug expression. The urge to shake the boy was coming back with a vengeance.

"Damn it all Al," Teddy shouted slamming his hand against the wall. "This isn't a time for a laugh. I know that Posey's charm is a portkey."

"Ah, time for that talk is it. Well, Teddy," Teddy stopped breathing. He reached out for the front of Albus's shirt, but the boy narrowly dodged his grasp. "I think I've had enough manhandling for the day."

"You know!"

"Yes I know," Al rolled his eyes. "I am the one who got you here after all." Al pulled out his wand as Teddy lunged at him. "I said enough," he warned as he circled away from Teddy.

"How do you get anything done as an auror if your first response to everything is attack? Just calm down for a moment and think will you. I obviously brought you here for a reason."

"And what's that."

"To protect Rose, of course." Once again Teddy just wanted to shake an explanation out of the boy. The annoying know-it-all Ravenclaw side was really starting to shine through.

Perhaps Al sensed that he was treading in dangerous waters, because he lowered his wand slightly. "I'll put away my wand if you promise not to lunge at me again. And we can go find somewhere a little more private to have this conversation."

Teddy grit his teeth. "Alright."

Teddy followed Al down the hallway and through a corridor. Al paused in front of a yellowed tapestry of galloping centaurs and pushed back the fabric to reveal a hidden corridor. Teddy was familiar with the shortcut, as it had saved him ten minutes extra sleep on his way from Gryffindor tower to his early morning potions class sixth year.

"What the hell is going on here Al?"

"You care about Rose right?" Al asked abruptly.

Teddy was a bit startled and felt the heat rising in his face. "I don't see how I feel has got anything to do with well anything."

"I mean, if you could protect her you would right?" Al pushed on.

"Well of course. Just like I would for any of the Potters or Weasleys, within reason of course."

Albus furrowed his brow slightly at Teddy's answer. "Within reason, huh. Well, what if you had to choose between Rose's life and someone else's what would you do then?"

Teddy felt his stomach slowly starting to ice over with apprehension. "Al did you do something, something to protect Rose."

Al cast his eyes downward. "Did you know that Professor Wicks was my favorite professor? He said that I had an unrivaled talent for potions, and I could really do something with it. Last year he arranged with the head master to give me additional lessons." Al let out a slow breath.

"Well, one afternoon I came by and he had been meeting with Professor Trelawney. She excused herself when I came in, but right before she left she got a funny look on her face. Then she started speaking in this raspy voice and said,

'The rose born to two who destroyed the last dark lord,

Will be responsible for the birth of a new darkness.

Only the descendents of the black stars can save her,

And return peace to the wizarding world.'

After that she just continued on her way like nothing had happened. I spotted right away that it was a prophesy and that she was talking about Rose." Teddy swallowed back the dryness in his throat. There was a prophecy about Rose and the next great dark wizard.

Al's voice rose a bit and he looked at Teddy with a slight desperation. "But you know Rose; she would never do anything to hurt anyone. Not ever. But you know how seriously they treat prophesies at the ministry. If it's been prophesized, then you're already guilty of the crime. Not even Dad would be able to protect her."

"But Al, if it were true."

"But it's not. Half the time there's a prophecy it's self-fulfilling. Think about it Teddy, Dad would have never become the chosen one if no one had ever heard Trelawney's first prediction." Al did have a point.

"That's what I basically told Wicks. And he agreed with me. He and I were the only one's to hear it and we agreed it would be best not to tell anybody." Teddy felt relief wash over him, so Al hadn't killed Wicks. Of course he hadn't killed anyone. That was crazy to think that.

"But I had to cover my bases in case the prophecy was true. What if somehow Rose did bring about the next dark lord….not on purpose of course, but somehow? So I created a contingency plan. I made the charm on her bracelet into a portkey that I could activate in case I had to get her out of Hogwarts. And then I," Al's eyes slid away from Teddy's. "Then I sort of worked on getting the decedents of the black stars into play."

"And who or what are they?"

"Um well there's Scorpius. And I knew he had a bit of a crush on Rose, so last year I started encouraging rather than discouraging."

"Scorpius?"

"Well, it was pretty obvious as well. His grandmother was a Black. And all of the family was named after stars."

"Well so is my grandmother…"

Al cleared his throat. "Um yeah, I know…"

"So I'm in the prophecy then?"

"Could be. There are three possibilities. You, Scorpius, and Mr. Malfoy, but I highly doubt Draco Malfoy is an option."

"So you got Rose and Scorpius together." Al nodded once in response. Teddy paused to let that sink in for a bit. "But you haven't done anything to me. Your Dad assigned me to this project. And we hardly talked at all this summer. Shouldn't you have talked to me about this then?"

"Well, I couldn't trust you not to go to the ministry. You are an auror after all. So I had to…make sure you wouldn't betray Rose."

"But you haven't done anything," Teddy cried exasperatedly.

"Well that's not entirely true. Do you remember when Uncle Ron gave you the note from 'Scorpius'? Well, I wrote it and planted it where I knew he'd find it. And then when he came to me, like I knew he would since I'm friends with both Rose and Scorpius, I told him I didn't know anything." Al paused and took a deep breath, "And then I suggested that maybe he should ask for your help."

"You did what!"

Al had his wand in his hand faster than Teddy could register. "It was all to protect Rose. I just wanted you two to become a bit closer." Al's cheeks pinkened slightly. "And it sort of worked. When I visited Rose next she got a letter from you, but she through it in the fire without looking at it. So I figured things didn't go so well, so I tried to get you two talking at Dad's party. Then you and Victoire broke up, so I figured things were moving in the right direction."

Teddy rubbed his face with his hands. Everything that had happened this summer was all do to the machinations of a teenage boy. The confusing feelings for Rose the break up with Victoire. Okay, maybe the breakup with Victoire had more to do with him than Al, but still… "Al, you can't treat people like they're some pieces on a chess board. We have feelings. I really cared about Victoire, and what you're trying to do to Rose is wrong. You can't just go about mucking up people's lives!"

Al's eyes flashed menacingly. "But it was to protect Rose! I thought you would understand."

"I do understand, but it doesn't make it right."

"You know what they would do to her don't you? They would lock her up in Azkaban. Life sentence for something she's never even done. For the greater good and all that rubbish. They might even kill her just to be on the safe side." Al snarled viciously. And Teddy knew he was right. No one would risk the rise of a new dark wizard. The peace had been too good, and the war had been too horrible. Even if Harry weighed in with all of his authority, he couldn't stop her from being locked up or assassinated by some rogue wizard who was afraid.

"You know it too don't you. That's why we have to protect her."

Teddy lowered his head, but nodded. Al took a deep breath and continued. "So when Wicks wrote me this summer and told me that, 'he was sorry, but he felt it was his duty to let people know about the prophecy. He couldn't live with himself if something happened, so he was going to sell the story to the prophet,' I knew I had to get rid of him." Before Teddy could draw his wand Al shouted, "Immobulous." Teddy felt the muscles in his body immediately lock up in response. It bordered on painful, the feeling you get when your muscles tense right before a charley horse hits, except this was all over his body.

He gritted his teeth and glared accusingly at Al. Little Al to whom Teddy had given piggy back rides up to five years ago. Just as good as his younger brother. Al's eyes were slightly glassy with moisture. "Please, Teddy you have to understand." Al pleaded with him. "I didn't want to. I admired Wicks. I really did, but it was him or Rose. There was hardly even a choice."

And Teddy hated that there was a small part of him that agreed with Al completely.

* * *

AN: Once again forgive me.


	11. The Escape

**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter, the subsequent characters, and universe belong to J. K. Rowling.

**Summary:** Ron suspects that Rose might be dating Scorpius Malfoy. He enlists the help of Teddy to figure out if he's right, but Teddy becomes quickly entangled in the situation. Rose/Scorpius Rose/Teddy.

**Author's Note:** We need more Teddy/Rose fanfiction – do your part. You know you want to…

I'd read and review it. (Oh look another promise. Will it never end?)

* * *

Chapter 11: The Escape

It wasn't supposed to go this way. Teddy was supposed to come back from this as a hero; he was going to make Harry proud. But now the Auror's would come and take away Rose and Al, and the family would be broken forever, and Harry would never really forgive him.

He slumped against the wall, ignoring the wand the younger boy had trained on his position. Even knowing what he did, he couldn't find it in himself to be afraid of Al. It was all too far from the reality he knew. His head hit the wall with a bit of a thump, but Teddy barely felt the impact. "It's too late Al, I sent the charm into the ministry once I found out it was a portkey." He studied Danny's thick fingers. They felt stranger than normal more like when he first put on this awkward skin. Maybe it came with being called Teddy again. He smiled grimly at those stranger's hands. "I thought I was protecting her." Al hadn't said anything or even moved as far as Teddy could tell.

He heard a tired sigh, but still didn't look up. "Well that complicates things, but I've planned for every possible variable."

Teddy looked up his shoulders slumped forward in a defeated position. "Then what's our next move chess master?"

Teddy leaned against the stone wall outside of the great hall. He was to wait for Rose to finish up breakfast and then explain to her the story Al had concocted to get her out of the castle. Al had gone to fill Scorpius in, to what degree Teddy was unsure, but he was pretty confident Al would get whatever response he wanted from the blonde.

Rose walked out of the hall with another girl in her year. She had changed out of her pajamas and into a pair of worn jeans and a green jumper. Teddy swallowed the dryness in his throat and called out for her, "Rose!"

She turned to look over her shoulder. She smiled warmly and waved the other girl on. "Yeah, Danny? I didn't see you or the boys at breakfast. Slytherin sleeping in this morning?"

"Rose, Albus needs to see you. Something's happened."

The smile immediately fled from Rose's face. "Is he in the hospital wing?" She stepped towards Danny grabbing his upper arm and starting towards the sick ward.

"No, it's not that. He's discovered something about a professor's murder."

"Wicks?" Her eyes went wide. "Has he told the headmaster yet?"

Teddy looked away from her and turned her in the direction of the dungeons where they would meet up with Scorpius and Albus. "I don't know. He just said it was important and that I needed to bring you."

Rose looked at him suspiciously, but didn't protest as he led her down the steps. Part of the plan meant that Teddy was going to be Danny for a good bit longer. Neither Al nor Teddy thought they could convince Rose to go with him if she found out who he really was.

"Scorpius!" Rose gasped when she saw Al and Malfoy standing in the hallway. Scorpius was frowning furiously at Al and didn't look in their direction even when Rose called out his name. Teddy noticed Al was holding a black canvas dufflebag and in the other hand what looked to be the marauders map.

Scorpius finally took a break from glaring at Al to look over at Rose. His eyes quickly taking in the broad form of Danny standing next to her. His mouth turned down even further.

He strode forward and pulled Rose into his arms. Apparently the no PDA rule had been temporarily lifted. Teddy noticed she seemed shocked and a bit stiff. "What…what's wrong?" she asked. Her voice was shaking slightly.

Scorpius kissed her hair and held her to him more tightly. Had he been crying? "Rose there's been a prophecy." His voice broke towards the end. Teddy looked towards the wall and studied the stones there.

"What kind of prophecy?" Teddy was interested to hear what Malfoy had been told. He glanced back towards the pair.

"A prophecy about the next dark wizard. It…it says that you're the only one that can stop him." A bit different than the way Teddy remembered it.

Rose stared at him blankly. Then she looked at Al and Teddy. "This has to be some kind of a joke. I mean, what could I possibly do to stop anyone?"

"Rose this isn't a joke," Scorpius said harshly. "Someone killed Wicks, because he knew about the prophecy and now they're coming after you"

"But this is Hogwarts," Rose protested.

"And Wicks was killed in Hogwarts," Teddy put in looking at Albus. Al returned his look completely unphased.

Rose had gone rather pale. "How did you know about the prophecy?"

"Professor Wicks wrote me about it." Al stepped forward placing a hand comfortingly on Rose's shoulder. "He thought Professor Trelawney had been drunk and he wrote me as a joke I think. Thought I thought it would be funny or something. But now he's gone, and now there's someone or something on the map." Rose brought a shaking hand up to her mouth in disbelief. Her eyes darted to the Marauders map clutched in Al's hand.

"At Hogwarts?" she whispered in a small voice. "We have to tell the teachers. We have to tell your parents.

For the first time Teddy noticed that Al looked slightly uncomfortable. This was the trickiest part convincing Rose she had to leave the castle now without going to any of the proper authorities.

"We've already sent notes to everyone Rose, but we don't know who can be trusted and whoever killed Wicks is here now. We're going to hold them back while you get safely out of the castle." Malfoy answered.

"We've wasted too much time already you have to go now." Al said his voice strained. "Come on. We're using the floo in this office." He grabbed Rose and pushed her into the dark room. He grabbed a fist full of green powder and shoved it into her sweating palm.

"I can't leave you to fight this," she said desperately clinging to Al's arm.

"You're going to Diagon Alley. Then Danny," he nodded in Teddy's direction will take you to his Dad's house. You should be safe there for a couple of days."

"Go Rose, quickly." Malfoy urged squeezing her arm.

"Oh Scorpius…"

"We'll see you soon," he promised her.

"I love you both." She kissed each boy on the cheek before approaching the fire. Tears were now dripping down her face. The glittering dust turned the flames green and she stepped in. "Diagon Alley." And she was gone in a flash the flames engulfing where she once stood.

"You take care of her." Malfoy directed with a shaking voice. "If she gets caught, I will hunt you down and kill you." He exited the room slamming the door on his way out.

"How much does he know?" Teddy asked eyeing Al warily.

"He knows the actual prophecy, but he doesn't know who you are yet."

"Right."

"Look after her Teddy. What Scorpius says goes for me too." Al held out the duffel bag that Teddy had noticed earlier.

Teddy looked at the boy evenly and didn't doubt his words. "We won't be caught." He said flatly. He took the bag from Al and nodded in the younger man's direction. He grabbed a fistful of floo powder and threw it into the flames.

He stepped into the fire and shouted, "Diagon Alley."

Traveling by floo was as uncomfortable and messy as ever. He shot out of the grate and fell onto Rose whom had just finished brushing most of the soot from her own journey off of herself.

"Sorry," he mumbled pushing himself off of her as fast as he could. He offered her a hand up which she accepted. She was a mess from floo travel and her eyes were red and puffy, but at least she had stopped crying.

"Where to now?" she asked wrapping her arms around herself. He noticed that she wasn't looking at him.

"A restroom first so I can change into some muggle clothes and then onto London. We'll be traveling by train. My Dad lives in the country."

"I'm sorry to involve you in all of this," Rose said without looking up at him.

"Not your fault," Teddy told her truthfully. "Don't worry my Dad's used to me bringing home strays." Not strictly true, since Teddy had never actually met Jack in person before. But it did bring a slight smile to Posey's face as she shyly looked up at him.

Diagon alley was bustling with early morning activity. Teddy needed to change immediately. He and Rose wouldn't attract any stares, but his Slytherin robes had already caught the attention of passersby. Nothing screamed cutting class quite like wearing Hogwarts robes that any British witch or wizard would recognize He didn't really want to leave Rose on her own, but he didn't have a choice at the moment. "I'm just going to pop into that café across the street and use their loo. You going to be alright on your own for a bit?"

"I'll be fine," Rose assured him.

He snuck in to the café, just incase it happened to be the kind where they only let customers use the facilities. He locked the door with a quick charm and opened up the duffle Al had handed him. There was a pair of jeans and a shirt, though they weren't Dannyboy's size they could be transfigured easily enough. Also in the duffle was some muggle money, toiletries, open ended train tickets, a looking glass, and a few other things that he didn't know the reason for yet. He also noted a sealed letter addressed to Danny. Probably further instructions from Albus…

Danny slipped on the pants and shirt adjusting their size with his wand. At least he and Rose were both of age and would be able to use their magic. He pocketed a few of the pound notes and the train tickets. The rest he left in the bag along with his school robes.

He hurried out of the café and back to Rose, who was right where he left her. He shouldn't be so surprised, since the hunt for her wouldn't really start until Harry got his letter. They had at least a day before he should start really worrying.


	12. The Homecoming

**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter, the subsequent characters, and universe belong to J. K. Rowling.

**Summary:** Ron suspects that Rose might be dating Scorpius Malfoy. He enlists the help of Teddy to figure out if he's right, but Teddy becomes quickly entangled in the situation. Rose/Scorpius Rose/Teddy.

**Author's Note:** We need more Teddy/Rose fanfiction – do your part. You know you want to…

I'd read and review it. (Oh look another promise. Will it never end?)

Same author's note, as before, because it still applies. Sorry for the lousy updating schedule, but wasn't it a pleasant surprise out of the blue?

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**Chapter 12: The Homecoming**

Using the underground to get to Kings Cross was fairly easy. Though it was crowded, uncomfortable, and Teddy thought unreasonably dirty. From the way Posey was wrinkling her nose she probably agreed with him. After a short deliberation they both decided it would be better to stand.

Rose didn't say much in the underground, but he could tell she was thinking. Her brow was slightly furrowed and she appeared to be taking the floor under deep consideration. This was not a good thing as far as Teddy was concerned. The last thing he needed was Rose to come up with a nice long list of questions about their abrupt departure from Hogwarts or his home life.

He grabbed at the first opportunity to interrupt her thoughts. "So have you ever been on the underground before?"

Rose shook her head, "I'm sorry what?" He couldn't tell if she didn't hear because she was distracted or because of the noise let off by the train. The wind rushed by in the confined space between the train and the tunnel creating a continuous muffled roar. Then again she could just be annoyed at him asking inane questions at a time like this.

"Have you ever been before, you know on the underground?" he repeated rather lamely.

"No." She replied rather distractedly. "Oh, um have you?"

"Nope. Grew up in the country. Haven't been to the city very much you know." Teddy thought it would be best to sneak little tidbits about Danny's life into the conversation whenever possible. He was slightly afraid if she thought too much about him, she might notice some similarities between Danny and Teddy which he really didn't need to deal with right now.

"Oh yes," Rose said. That was the end of conversation until they got off at the stop near King's Cross.

The train station was buzzing with activity. Luckily, or not so luckily, they didn't have any luggage to cart around just the small duffle bag. Rose pointed Teddy in the direction of the departures board. They began scanning looking for their train. "I'm sorry I'm not sure what I'm looking for," Rose confessed after a minute.

"Oh right. We're going to Ancaster. That's where my Dad is." Well that's where Jack Miller was.

Rose and Teddy went back to scanning the board. "I don't see it up there. Maybe we should ask at the desk?" Rose suggested after a minute. Teddy continued to stubbornly check the departures for a minute. Certainly he could figure out something as simple as a muggle train schedule.

It seemed that Rose was not nearly as confidant in his abilities. "Oh come on, Danny," she said grabbing his arm and dragging him over to the service desk.

As it turned out they had missed the morning departures to Ancaster, so they'd have to wait until the afternoon to leave. The woman at the desk directed them to a food court where they could pick up something to eat while they waited.

"I'm not very hungry," Rose told him as they approached the seating area.

"Me neither, but we have to kill some time. Can I buy you some tea or maybe a cup of coffee?" Rose barely shook her head no and walked towards a table. Rose seemed to be in a thoughtful daze as she walked away which did nothing to relieve Teddy's nerves.

Despite what Rose told him, Teddy came back with two cups of hot tea in paper cups. He pushed one across the tabletop towards her. She fingered the sides of the cup thoughtfully her nails creating a faint rasping sound. "So where is Ancaster?," she asked abruptly. "I don't think I've ever heard of it before."

Teddy cast about in his mind for the few details he knew about his 'home town' "In Lincolnshire."

"Not so far then?"

"Not really. It's about two hours by train." Teddy was already running out of things to talk about on the subject of Ancaster. He had never been there himself and only had the two paragraphs in the mission file to go off of. Most of those two paragraphs had been more about his father's house than about the community.

"Well what's it like?"

"Umm…like any other village I suppose." Teddy could feel the sweat beginning to trickle down the back of his neck.

Rose gave him an annoyed look. "Well there's a church. It's rather nice, though we never really went there." That was a bit out of the file. It was important Jack didn't go to church or really have any close acquaintance that might point out the fact he had never had a wife or a son. Luckily Jack Miller had always been a bit of a suspicious recluse which worked in their favor.

"And a couple of pubs," he assumed. Really any town with a population of over 50 had to have at least one pub. "And an inn," he hoped. If it turned out to be false he could always claim they shut down or he meant in the neighboring town.

"Are you worried about what your Dad will think when you show up out of the blue with some strange girl?"

Honestly Teddy was worrying about far too many different things right now to spend much time worrying about Jack. Of course now that Rose had brought it up he could worry about that as well. "He's always been very supportive," in his letters at least, "and you're not strange since he already knows all about you."

Rose raised her eyebrows. "He does, does he?"

Teddy quirked a smile back at her. "Sure you…and Albus and Scorpius. Don't get so full of yourself Weasley. You know I do write to my father about school and friends." Of course, usually he wrote a great deal more about Rose.

Teddy was relieved to see Rose smile again even if it was only temporary and disappeared quickly. She furrowed up her brow slightly and studied the gouged surface of the table, "Why are you a part of this Danny? I mean we barely know each other."

This is it he could confess everything right now. Or not. He grabbed hold of Rose's hand. "Feels like longer to me." Rose looked at their hands apprehensively, but she didn't pull away.

The train ride was quiet. Well on their part it was quiet. They were sharing a train compartment with two younger boys, well younger than Teddy but older than Rose and his alter ego, and a middle aged woman. The two boys talked of football and girls. Teddy wasn't interested in what they had to say and spent most of his time carefully watching Rose who spent all of her time carefully watching her hands and avoiding Teddy's eyes.

The muggles prevented them from talking openly, which for the most part Teddy was grateful for. However, it gave him plenty of time to sit with his own thoughts and worry which was not so fortunate.

"What are we going to tell your father?" he heard Rose ask. She was still looking at her hands, but Teddy was sure she had spoken.

"I'll think of something," he assured her.

As it turned out Teddy was wrong about that. They were on Jack's front porch and he was currently studying the peeling blue paint of the door while Posey patiently waited for him to get up the courage to knock. 'Patiently' may have been a liberal interpretation of her attitude as she was tapping a foot with her arms crossed over her chest. Which was not really helping him concoct a story to feed to a man that was supposed to be his father.

"Could you just sit still for a bloody moment?" He told her after finally losing his patience. She huffed, but stopped moving her foot.

"Danny?" he heard a voice from where the door used to be.

Teddy slowly turned around to face his next challenge. "Hi Dad." The photo Teddy had of Jack Miller must have been a few years old. This man had a few more wrinkles and his hair was far grayer than black, but Teddy recognized him immediately. He could see a lot of the resemblance between this man and the face he had become accustomed to seeing in the mirror.

Jack looked Teddy up and down and then glanced over at Rose. Teddy wasn't able to tell anything from his expression. "Come on in," he told them as he turned away and returned to the house expecting them to follow.

Rose looked at Teddy apprehensively, but he just shrugged in response and followed Jack into the house.

"You can have Danny's room and he can take the lounge. All the spare rooms are being used for storage. It'll be the third door on the left down the hall. Now you go on and get settled."

Jack gave no room for any type of response other than her leaving the room. Rose hesitated for a moment before heading down the hall leaving Teddy alone.

"Have you gotten that girl in a bad way?" Jack asked flatly.

When Teddy figured out what Jack was asking the color rose in his face. "No. No it's not like that between us," Teddy protested.

Jack studied him carefully before nodding once. "Well then I'm lost as to why you would come home…with a girl, when you ought to be at school." Jack wandered over to a worn floral patterned sofa and settled himself down. He appeared to be quite comfortable and at his leisure.

Teddy smiled nervously. Despite everything he was rather happy to finally meet Jack. He took a deep breath and began to explain what he could. "She's in a bit of trouble, magical trouble."

Jack frowned thoughtfully. "And she couldn't get any help from this school?"

It seemed Jack was rather fast at cottoning on to the situation. Well he had been British intelligence, so he must have been brighter than average. "No, not in this situation."

"Ahh, so Rose is in some sort of trouble where wizards' law can't or won't help her." Jack leaned back on the sofa. "Has she done something wrong?" Teddy barely noticed that Jack had figured out who Rose was.

"No," Teddy said vehemently grasping the edge of a chair tightly. "That's the thing she hasn't done anything at all! But there was a prophecy that said she will do something, so they're going to be coming after her."

"This thing they think she's going to end up doing. How bad would it be?" Teddy couldn't help but give Jack a guilty expression.

"Bad, eh." Jack pushed himself up off the couch and walked over to Teddy. There was stiffness to his gait that Teddy had failed to notice earlier like one of his legs was injured. Jack placed a rough hand on what he thought was his son's shoulder. "You know I don't believe in God. And till your mother I didn't believe in magic," Teddy winced mentally when he said that bit, "But the one thing I've always believed in is free will, and if you trust this Rose to make right decisions, then I trust her too."

"Thanks Dad." Teddy leaned against Jack and though a hand on the shoulder wasn't quite a hug coming from Jack it was more comforting than even one of Nana Molly's tightest embraces.

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Note: I've only seen the Heathrow airport in London (fun times), so anything about the UK is taken from the internet and guesswork. Fiction for the win.


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